On Monday morning, Penn State’s Board of Trustees approved a 15-year, $50 million agreement with West Shore Home for the naming rights to the field at Beaver Stadium with a final vote of 22-8. Starting in the 2025 season, the field will officially be known as West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium.
Why Is Penn State’s Stadium Deal Getting So Much Attention?
Penn State is working on a $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium, which will take multiple seasons to finish. The stadium is named after James Beaver, who was once Penn State’s acting president and also served as Pennsylvania’s 20th governor.
While some people are pleased that the university is making updates, others feel that more changes — especially to the name — should have been considered.
Penn State has announced a $50M field naming gift.
The iconic Beaver Stadium’s field will now be called the West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium beginning with the 2025 season through the 2039 season 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/gRSjI01NQt
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 10, 2025
Penn State trustee and former Nittany Lions quarterback Matt McGloin told the board that the university was missing an opportunity by not naming the field at Beaver Stadium in honor of the late football coach Joe Paterno.
“You’re trying to erase 46 years as a head coach, and what’s happening now may look like a successful move, but I don’t believe it’s a very honorable one,” McGloin said in a statement to the board. “And success without honor is an unseasoned dish. It will satisfy your hunger, but it won’t taste very good.”
McGloin finished with, “I’m urging you to do the right thing for Penn State, to do the right thing for the Paterno family, to do the right thing for Joe. There shouldn’t be a price for our identity here at Penn State.”
Paterno was Penn State’s head football coach for 46 years, leading the Nittany Lions to two national championships and becoming one of the most successful coaches in college football history.
Beyond his success on the field, he played a major role in shaping the university’s football culture and academic programs for student-athletes. Many fans and alumni view him as the greatest figure in Penn State’s football history.
However, his legacy remains controversial due to the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal. In 2011, Penn State’s Board of Trustees fired Paterno in response to the scandal, and he passed away shortly after in 2012.
Since then, fans and alumni have made multiple efforts to name the field at Beaver Stadium after him, but others oppose the idea due to his connection to the scandal.
As the 2025 season nears, renovations on Beaver Stadium’s east and west sides are still in progress, with foundation work happening on the west side.
For the upcoming season, Penn State will add 7,900 temporary bleacher seats above the suite level, along with temporary food stands and restrooms. Even with the construction, the stadium will still accommodate more than 100,000 fans.
The $50 million naming rights deal is just one piece of the larger transformation happening at Beaver Stadium. While some celebrate the financial boost and modernization efforts, others believe Penn State missed a chance to honor its past.
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As renovations continue and the debate over the stadium’s identity carries on, one thing is sure—Beaver Stadium will remain a central part of Penn State’s legacy, no matter what name is on the field.
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