Penn State Trustees Briefly Presented Resolution to Honor Joe Paterno

A Penn State trustee introduced, then quickly withdrew, the resolution to name Beaver Stadium's field after the late football coach.

A Penn State University trustee introduced, and then withdrew, a resolution to name Beaver Stadium's field after Joe Paterno, prompting a fellow trustee and former Penn State football player to call the move a "political stunt."

Near the conclusion of the Penn State Board of Trustees meeting Friday, trustee Anthony Lubrano introduced a resolution asking the board to recognize Paterno in two ways: to hold a Joe and Sue Paterno Day this fall and to name the field at Beaver Stadium after the late Penn State football coach. Lubrano cited Paterno's work as football coach, athletic director and fundraiser at the university and Sue Paterno's philanthropic and humanitarian achievements.

But Lubrano, an alumni-elected trustee for whom the university's baseball stadium is named, quickly withdrew the resolution following a statement from Jay Paterno, a former Penn State assistant football coach and fellow alumni trustee. Jay Paterno asked that the resolution be withdrawn while the university navigates continuing financial challenges, which include planned $94 million in budget cuts in 2025.

After Lubrano withdrew the resolution, reserving the option to re-introduce it later, trustee Brandon Short responded. A former Penn State linebacker who played for Joe Paterno in the 1990s, Short said he supported the resolution to honor the Paternos but called the manner in which it was introduced "insulting." Short added that he was "taken aback" and said that the resolution used the Paterno name as a "political football."

"As much as I support this resolution, support honoring Joe Paterno and honoring Sue and doing everything that we can to honor their name, I don't support continued political stunts in Joe Paterno's name," said Short, also an alumni-elected trustee. "To put out a resolution, to say all this, and then pull it back is insulting to me personally. It was not necessary."

Short has been critical of several alumni trustees, whom he would not name, saying they have been "undermining athletics" by discouraging donors from giving to Penn State coach James Franklin's program or to the NIL initiative. At Friday's board meeting, Short said that "people are using Joe Paterno's name to be re-elected" as trustees.

"If you really wanted to do the resolution, then put the resolution up and call for [a vote]," Short said. "But to put it up and then pull it back means you never wanted it, and it doesn't seem like you actually care about it. So please stop using Joe Paterno as a political football."

The interaction at Penn State's Board of Trustees meeting followed reporting by Spotlight PA that trustees and university officials met twice in January to discuss recognizing Paterno. According to the story, Penn State officials were "hesitant" to name the Beaver Stadium field after Paterno, whom the board fired in 2011 after Jerry Sandusky initially was indicted for child sexual abuse. 

In a 2022 statement to ESPN, the university said, "Regarding Coach Paterno, there are no plans for additional honors or a reinstallation of the statue." Penn State removed the statue of Joe Paterno from its location outside Beaver Stadium in July 2012.

In bringing the resolution to the board, Lubrano said he urged the administration and trustees to "meaningfully recognize the innumerable contributions of Joe and Sue Paterno." 

"All of us in this room should be immensely proud of the culture that his thinking helped to create," Lubrano said. "Joe Paterno's contributions to this university can never be erased, and he will never be forgotten. So my fellow trustees, we have reached the moment of truth. Are we going to honor two people who have literally given their lives in the pursuit of a better Penn State? Or are we going to allow fear-mongering to prevail?"

Jay Paterno began his remarks by saying this was the first time he has publicly addressed honoring his father. Jay Paterno said he prepared his statement after visiting his father's grave Thursday "to gather some thoughts."

"If Joe Paterno was here right now, he'd respect the vision of our president and implore us to do the hard things required for the future of Penn State, the things being asked by President [Neeli] Bendapudi," Jay Paterno said. "He'd focus on making sure future generations of Penn State graduates can afford their education with a chance to start their post-college years building lives of meaning and service that will swell the fame of Dear Old State. He'd be more concerned about improving academic rankings and, off the field. APR academic football scores than seeing his name on the field."

Jay Paterno concluded his statement by "humbly" asking the resolution be held for a future date "upon which time we've charted the course to meet the same vision and shared history of the two people we hope to honor." Jay Paterno said that Sue Paterno, who recently turned 84, is in great healthy and "quite spunky."

"I do hope that the future comes sooner rather than later," Jay Paterno said.

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