Penn State fans are fuming after the university announced that Beaver Stadium’s field will now carry a corporate sponsor’s name.
The iconic home of the Nittany Lions, known for its tradition and atmosphere, will now officially see its field called West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium—a move that many see as a cash grab at the expense of history.
The Penn State Board of Trustees approved the naming rights deal by a 22-8 vote, marking the first time the school has altered the stadium’s field name in such a way. The agreement, which runs from the 2025 season through 2039, is part of a financial boost aimed at supporting the Beaver Stadium Revitalization Project.
West Shore Home, a Pennsylvania-based home improvement company, has been described as a "proud partner" by Penn State, with CEO B.J. Werzyn expressing excitement about the deal. While the university is framing this as a positive investment in the stadium’s future, many fans aren’t buying it.
On X, many fans voiced their displeasure over the move, which Penn State has called a "gift." Many fans took exception with that phrase, saying that "giving up naming rights isn't exactly a gift." While hundreds of fans continued their social media rants against Penn State, another notable name chimed in on the change, as well.
Former Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin, who voted against the proposal, shared that he believed the field should be named after Joe Paterno.
“Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Barry Alvarez Field at Camp Randall Stadium. Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium. I played for Joe Paterno for four of my five years at Penn State and had the honor and privilege of being his last quarterback," he said via Penn Live. " In the summer of 2011, the university had decided to name the field after Joe. And here we sit 14 years later, and the field at Beaver Stadium has not yet been named Paterno Field at Beaver Stadium.
“Is this because we’re fearful we might receive some criticism for it? Personally, in my career, if I was concerned with criticism, I would have never stepped foot on Penn State’s campus in 2008. If we listened to criticism, this university would not have gotten through the 2012 year, which, as we all know, was the darkest period any university had ever faced.
The renaming of the field will be something to watch as we head into the 2025 season. It's unclear how much corporate representation will be put on the field, but we'd expect this to be something that many more colleges around the country will embrace in the future, as well.