It’s no April Fool — later this month (April 26, to be exact), thousands of loyal Penn State football fans will be jamming themselves into the parking lot of West Shore Home to catch a glimpse of the 2025 Nittany Lions. Those planning on making the trip need to make sure they have the right settings on their GPS, thus mistakenly winding up in Mechanicsburg instead of Happy Valley.
Philosopher Henry David Thoreau once reasoned, “There’s no new news, just old news with new dates.” Such is the case with the weeks-old bombshell out of State College announcing revered Beaver Stadium has undergone a name change, here-to-for be known as West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium.
In what might be described as a ‘bird-in-the-hand’ money grab, Penn State’s Board of Trustees, by a 22-8 vote, has approved a 15-year landmark naming-rights partnership, effective for the coming season, with the Mechanicsburg-based home remodeling company in exchange for $50-million commitment to the stadium’s upgrading project.
West Shore Home has 40 offices in 21 states, employing more than 1,000 people.
Its CEO, B.J. Werzyn, is a 1999 Penn State graduate and huge Nittany Lions football fan who is putting his money where his heart is.
“Being an alum, being a Penn State football fan, I wanted to be able to support the football program. It’s not a big secret that the football program is what generates the revenue that drives all the athletic programs at Penn State. So, keeping Penn State competitive, keeping them relevant, was important to me.”
West Shore Home’s $50-million commitment is the second-largest private donation in Penn State history, behind only Terry Pegula’s $102-million gift for the campus ice arena and varsity hockey program. Werzyn’s company signed running back Nicholas Singleton to a multi-year NIL deal in 2022 and has continued to provide NIL support for Penn State football.
There is no denying West Shore Home’s generosity will help Penn State and its ongoing $700-million renovation of Beaver Stadium, scheduled to be completed in 2027.
Pat Kraft, PSU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, explained, “The commitment will help us reach our goal as we further enhance our stadium, making it one of the most intimidating places to play in the country!”
But the Penn State Trustees did not pitch a shutout in accepting the new money stream. Much as the oft-asked question of ‘where is Joe Paterno’s statue’ — the eight ‘no-votes’ were cast by those feeling the legendary coach continues to be slighted by the University he helped elevate to unprecedented heights.
Trustee Anthony Lubrano stated, “This is a very sobering day for Penn State. Today, for many of us, the music dies. Today, the Penn State we know and love is no more because we’re about to commit the ultimate betrayal.” He reasoned naming the field after Paterno would have the potential to raise millions of dollars in contributions for the University.
Trustee Matt McGloin, a quarterback under Paterno’s tutelage, said it was past time for Penn State to honor its former coach.
“By not giving him the honor he deserves, you’re trying to eliminate the past and everything he’s done. What’s happening now might look like a successful move, but I don’t believe it’s a very honorable move. There should not be a price for our identity here at Penn State.”
The identity of Beaver Stadium dates back to the Civil War and a general named James A. Beaver. He later became the Governor of Pennsylvania and served as the President of Penn State’s Board of Trustees.
Driven by the need for money to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ in the professional realm of ‘amateur’ collegiate sports, this isn’t the first time a college has traded history for greenbacks. Corporate sponsorship has engraved its name on many stadiums around the country, but surprisingly, the coast-to-coast 18-member Big Ten Conference has been holding to names bestowed upon them for many years.
Although renovations have been ongoing in many of them, with ten stadiums constructed in the 1920s, 14 of the other 17 Big Ten venues retain names of local identity, with four of them (Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, and USC) playing in Memorial Stadiums. Only three carry corporate titles: Minnesota (TCF Bank Stadium), Rutgers (SHI Stadium), and Maryland (Capital One Field).
Beaver Stadium’s seating capacity of 106,572 is second only to the Big House at Michigan’s 107,601. PSU officials have not announced the stadium’s capacity once the renovations are complete but have maintained it will be more than 100,000.
Interestingly, of the five other college stadiums topping the 100,000 capacity mark, none of them carry a corporate tag. The group includes Ohio State (The Horseshoe) 102,788; Texas A&M (Kyle Field) 102,733; LSU (Tiger Stadium) 102,321; Tennessee (Neyland Stadium) 101,915; and Alabama (Bryant-Denny Stadium) 100,077.
On college campuses, it is a sobering fact that there are no sports without money, and without football, there is no money. West Shore Home needs to be thanked for its monetary commitment to the PA State University, but Joe PA needs to continue to be remembered for what he meant for the entire Penn State scene.
It could be possible for Penn State ‘to have its cake and eat it too.’ On the inside, it is West Shore Field; on the outside, it is time for the PSU decision-makers to reverse their misguided directive and bring back the Paterno statue to its rightful place. His legacy should live on. My guess is — James Beaver would agree.
