Penn State trustees pushing to name Beaver Stadium football field after Joe Paterno: Report
A group of Penn State trustees is pushing for the university to name the football field at Beaver Stadium after former Nittany Lions football coach Joe Paterno, according to a report Thursday from Spotlight PA.
The matter was discussed between trustees and high-ranking university officials during two private meetings in January, according to the report, which added that the board and school officials are “hesitant” about the idea. The fact the conversations occurred in private is a potential violation of state laws that require that governing bodies of the university conduct business in public view.
Paterno was fired by the board in 2011 in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. It marked the ignominious end of one of the longest and most decorated coaching tenures in college football history. Paterno was Penn State’s coach for 46 seasons, accruing a 409-136-3 record and winning two national championships in that time.
REQUIRED READING: Should Penn State honor Joe Paterno?
The NCAA originally vacated more than 100 of Paterno’s victories before later restoring them, once again making him the winningest coach in college football history.
Though Paterno died of lung cancer in 2012, two months after his dismissal at Penn State, his figure still looms large at the university he called home for more than 60 years, first as an assistant and later as the head coach.
One of Penn State’s libraries is named after Paterno and his wife, Sue. The university has the Paterno Fellows Program, which “encourages students to challenge themselves academically and distinguish themselves in areas traditionally associated with the liberal arts.” Though a statue of Paterno was removed outside of Beaver Stadium in 2012, the late coach was honored last December with a plaque inside the stadium on its “Wall of Honor.”
An unnamed Penn State spokesperson told Spotlight PA in a statement that “The Administration and the Board of Trustees have embarked on numerous change initiatives based on President (Neeli) Bendapudi’s vision and goals and are focused on these priorities to continue to provide a world-class academic and student experience for years to come.”
Penn State’s board will hold its next full public meeting on Feb. 16.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State trustees pushing to name Beaver Stadium field after Joe Paterno
