On Monday, the Penn State Board of Trustees approved the naming of the Beaver Stadium field, which officially became the “West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium” following a $50 million donation.

The board passed the proposal 22-8 and will honor a $50 million gift from West Shore Home, a home remodeling company in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

There are mixed opinions about this naming, so two of our staffers decided to debate whether it should’ve been passed or not.

Jamie Lynch: It Was A Bad Move

Yankee Stadium. Fenway Park. Lambeau Field. West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Some things in sports, and in life, are greater than a price tag. Folks, the field of play at the iconic Beaver Stadium may now feature a West Shore Home logo before a Penn State one.

I understand that in the new era of college football, and with the Beaver Stadium renovations well underway, money is a big asset. But to go forth with $700 million changes that most Penn Staters were against, not have a feasible way to fund the project without selling naming rights, and then call the field something other than what fans have been advocating for for years, is deeply upsetting. How out of touch with reality can you be?

That’s not to mention that while the contract Penn State struck with West Shore Home is one of the largest naming deals in collegiate history, it is still a relatively weak one given its duration.

To put it in perspective, Georgia Tech struck a naming rights deal for its football stadium in 2023 for $55 million over 20 years. Penn State will receive its $50 million funding over the course of 15 years. So while the moniker will only be associated with Beaver Stadium through 2039, the university will technically only be receiving, on average, $3.3 million per year. Plus, it seems like a school that receives so much financial support should be able to accrue a larger sum given the expense of a 15-year-long name change.

Our identity as a school being built on tradition is being thrown out the window. The university has sold out the soul of its existence for a paycheck. If only there were someone that Penn State could name its field after that would generate millions of dollars in alumni donations for decades. The Board of Trustees strikes again.

Michael Siroty: It Was A Good Move

Let me start by saying I don’t like this name. It’s too wordy and most people haven’t heard of West Shore Home. However, I see why Penn State’s Board of Trustees approved the naming, and I think it was a good move for two reasons.

First, no matter what the field’s name became, everyone I know will not be using that name. It will remain Beaver Stadium. It’s one of the most famous stadiums in the world, and its name won’t change when people talk about it.

Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium is actually “Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium.” West Virginia’s Milan Puskar Stadium is actually “Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium.” Clemson’s Memorial Stadium is actually “Frank Howard Field at Clemson Memorial Stadium.” All three of those venues are well known, and I bet almost everyone reading this had no idea they had names for their fields. While its official name changes, Beaver Stadium will remain Beaver Stadium.

Second, Penn State Athletics needed the money one way or another after putting $700 million into renovating Beaver Stadium. The $50 million gift from West Shore Home will go a long way in raising that money back.

Again, I don’t like how the name sounds, but if the company was willing to throw $50 million into making Beaver Stadium a nicer venue, Penn State had no choice but to take it.