Update: Penn State’s Board of Trustees voted 22-8 on Monday to accept a $50 million gift from the Werzyn family and West Shore Home to name the field West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. The term of the agreement is 2025 through 2039.
The Penn State Board of Trustees will vote Monday on a proposal for corporate naming rights for the field at Beaver Stadium, sources told StateCollege.com.
The trustees’ Finance and Investment Committee will vote on approving the multi-year deal during an off-cycle meeting at 9:30 a.m. held over Zoom. The agenda for the meeting posted Friday on the board’s website lists “Proposed Recommendation from the Facilities and Academic Unit Naming Committee” as the only action item, and the agenda provides no further details, including the naming sponsor.
The full board is then expected to vote on the recommendation.
If approved, the licensing of naming rights would likely provide the university significant compensation. Florida Atlantic signed a 15-year, $22.5 million deal with Flagler Credit Union in December, and other schools have also cashed in since the NCAA approved commercial sponsor advertisements for all regular season football games last summer.
Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft told StateCollege.com in June that he was “open to everything,” in regard to selling naming rights at Beaver Stadium or on-field advertising space.
In February 2024, a group of trustees proposed naming the field at Beaver Stadium “Paterno Field,” in honor of the late former Nittany Lion football coach Joe Paterno. That proposal, put forward by trustee Anthony Lubrano was withdrawn after trustee Jay Paterno, Joe Paterno’s son, asked that it be delayed while the board dealt with pressing challenges.
The trustee group had previously met with high-level administrators to discuss the proposal, but university and board officials were hesitant to move forward with it, Spotlight PA reported. The board’s then-chair, Matthew Schuyler, and vice-chair, David Kleppinger, later admonished Lubrano for creating a “public spectacle” and sharing “confidential information,” related to the proposal at the public meeting and in statements to the media, according to Spotlight PA.
Some high-profile college football programs have named their fields in honor of their legendary coaches in recent years. Wisconsin named the field at Camp Randall Stadium for Barry Alvarez in 2022, and Alabama named the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium for Nick Saban in 2024.
For Penn State, selling corporate naming rights for the field could help fund its $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium, which is expected to be complete prior to the 2027 season. The stadium’s press box and upper deck, as well as several ground level structures, have already been demolished. Beaver Stadium’s capacity is expected to remain above 100,000 throughout the project.
Penn State’s Board of Trustees approved an initial $70 million for the Beaver Stadium renovation in 2023 and authorized up to $630 million more in May (with two members voting no and three abstaining). Penn State officials said no tuition or tax dollars will be used, and the project will be financed by university-backed debt to be paid by the athletic department, along with donations.
The project has received at least $70 million in major donations, according to releases from the athletic department. They include several that will result in the naming of a west sideline club, a field club, a welcome center and the west tower in recognition of their respective donors.
