In recent weeks and months, the subject of a naming rights deal for Beaver Stadium has been brought to the attention of Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, Pat Kraft, and more recently, President Neeli Bendapudi.

While neither one said definitively that they were for it, the option wasn’t ruled out, either. Kraft told StateCollege.com in June that he was “open to anything,” while Bendapudi expressed her openness to creating more revenues last week.

As FIU did with Pitbull Stadium, several other schools have sold their college football stadium’s naming rights. However, is sticking with traditions more important? Two of our staffers debated the topic.

CJ Gill: Penn State Should Sell Beaver Stadium’s Naming Rights

It pains me to argue in favor of selling the naming rights to Beaver Stadium, but the unfortunate truth is that the landscape of college football is taking Penn State down this inevitable path. 

Selling the naming rights to the second-largest stadium in the country by capacity would not be a popular decision among fans, alumni, and students. However, if Penn State Athletics and the university decide not to pursue this revenue opportunity, they would fall behind competitors in the Big Ten and around the country. It’s naive to think the likes of Ohio State and Michigan won’t sell the naming rights to their respective stadiums for large amounts of money because they will.

The amount of money this could bring in for the football and other varsity teams at Penn State could be game-changing. I understand the history and tradition that engulfs Nittany Lion football. It’s what makes so many Penn Staters fall in love with Happy Valley, but this compromise is not only worth it but also necessary. 

Penn State is a premier program with one of the most iconic stadiums and scenes in the country. That alone will make naming rights very attractive to some of the biggest companies that could bid on it. 

It’s no secret that the Nittany Lions aren’t rolling around in NIL cash. To be honest, Penn State is one of the weakest in NIL when it comes to the top teams in the NCAA. If you want to compete for championships now and in the future, creating a pile of cash to spend on your athletes is the best way to achieve those goals. Selling the naming rights isn’t fun at all, but it’s one of the best and easiest ways to get a lot of quick cash for Penn State Athletics.

Nolan Wick: Penn State Should Stick To Tradition

There are few stadiums in the United States with names that are iconic and beloved by fanbases. Beaver Stadium is one of them.

Let’s use two professional sports teams as examples here. Imagine if the New York Yankees sold their naming rights to Yankee Stadium. What if the Green Bay Packers ditched Lambeau Field in favor of a sponsored name?

The reactions from those fanbases would be seismic. The Yankees and Packers are among the biggest and most successful brands in their respective sports, and they rack up scores of money annually. Penn State is one of the biggest brands in college football, making hundreds of millions per year.

According to 247Sports, Penn State Athletics was the seventh-highest earning athletic department in college sports, with a reported $202,200,023 in revenue in 2023. That’s a jump from 2022, during which the program’s $181,227,448 in revenue was the ninth-most. 2023’s total earnings were less than Nebraska’s ($204,831,356), Michigan’s ($229,561,279), and the nation’s highest Ohio State ($279,549,337) in the Big Ten.

On top of that, a naming rights deal for Beaver Stadium alone wouldn’t change that landscape. Maryland’s naming rights deal for SECU Stadium is reportedly worth $11 million for 10 years, for instance. Of course, Beaver Stadium would be worth more, but it’s hard to say it would be game-changing based alone on what another Big Ten school has done.

If Penn State renames Beaver Stadium, a deal alone likely wouldn’t be enough to catch up to Ohio State and other schools that earn significantly more money. Even if it did, those schools could sign their own stadium naming rights deals to continue surpassing Penn State. It isn’t worth it in the long run, as the financial boost isn’t big enough and such a deal would likely cause significant negative backlash from the fanbase. The upside isn’t really there.