Action on and off the mats can attribute to the high level of excitement around the Penn State wrestling team this weekend.

On the mats, the No. 8 Nittany Lions are prepping to face in-state foe Lehigh in Rec Hall at 7 tonight. On Sunday, Penn State goes to Long Island to take on upstart No. 5 Hofstra at 1 p.m.

Off the mats, the brand new Lorenzo Wrestling Complex will finally get its official dedication tonight prior to the match.

At practice Tuesday afternoon, the smell of paint and the sounds of workers surrounded the team. The final touches were still being put into place to welcome both alumni and fans to tour the complex at the dedication ceremony.

"Things are kind of coming to where I envisioned them when I first started coaching, what we wanted to do with Penn State wrestling," Penn State coach Troy Sunderland said.

"A part of that is coming from the vision of Coach [Rich] Lorenzo, and Coach [John] Fritz before me in terms of getting a room renovation project, building a fan base, and building the team. I'm proud of what we've accomplished."

The new facility is equipped with a new lounge, locker room, weight room and main training room with four mats flat screen TV's on the wall beside each mat. The complex is named after Lorenzo, the NWCA Coach of the Year twice during his 14-year tenure. He posted a 188-22-7 record as the Lions' coach.

The anticipation of this new training complex means a lot to Penn State wrestling. It has been in the works for years and will show the nation the potential for Penn State's future, Sunderland said.

This year's Lions are doing the rest of the work, accumulating a 3-0 record and currently boasting five wrestlers in the top 15 of their respective weight classes. However, this weekend's competition will definitely be a test with each team bringing its own share of nationally ranked grapplers.

Lehigh senior Matt Cassidy is ranked No. 16 at the 197-pound weight class, and was responsible for one of the four losses junior No. 1 Phil Davis suffered last year. This match in particular will be one to watch tonight.

"We [took] two matches from Lehigh last year, and they're going to come back and try and give that to us this year," Sunderland said. "This series we've had with Lehigh these past several years; usually something that you don't expect to happen happens. They're going to be some close matches. Those matches will be entertaining for the fans."

The competition will not be any easier on Sunday against the Pride. Two weeks ago, Hofstra knocked off then-No. 1 Minnesota, 18-17. They are led by seven wrestlers in the top 15 individual rankings, including No. 6 Chris Weidman at 197 to cap off Davis' trying weekend.

Davis is currently 8-0 on the season after he won the 197-pound title in last week's Nittany Lion Open. He said he still didn't feel like he is where he wants to be physically, but he's getting there.

The competition is tough, but Davis and the starters are confident with where the team is and where it is going.