Penn State trustees and senior university officials are currently engaged in discussions regarding the potential naming of the football field at Beaver Stadium in honor of the late coach Joe Paterno. According to reports from Spotlight PA, two private meetings took place in January, during which trustees advocated strongly for the field naming while officials expressed reservations.
Paterno, who served as coach for many years, was dismissed in 2011 following the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal. Sadly, Paterno passed away just 74 days later at the age of 85. Although Sandusky was convicted on 45 charges of child sexual abuse and received a prison sentence of 30 to 60 years, Paterno himself was never charged with any wrongdoing.
Following his termination, Paterno’s statue was removed from its location outside of Beaver Stadium. Furthermore, the NCAA initially vacated over 100 of his coaching victories, but later decided to reinstate them. Paterno currently holds the record for the most coaching wins of all time, with a total of 409 victories. Under his leadership, the Nittany Lions achieved two national titles and three Big Ten titles.
Spotlight PA’s sources indicate that the trustees held a briefing on January 16th regarding the field naming, followed by an executive session on January 29th. Both of these meetings were conducted in private, potentially violating a state law that requires governing bodies to conduct business in a transparent manner. The university spokesperson, however, maintains that the Jan. 16 briefing was an informational session without any deliberation, and that the Jan. 29 executive session addressed confidential matters within the legal exemptions.
In an email to Spotlight PA, an unnamed spokesperson stated, “The Administration and the Board of Trustees have undertaken numerous change initiatives based on President [Neeli] Bendapudi’s vision and goals, and are committed to providing a world-class academic and student experience for years to come.”
According to the Source deadspin.com