Report: Penn State Trustees, Reps Discussed Naming Football Field After Joe Paterno

The field at Beaver Stadium could someday be named after controversial former coach Joe Paterno.

According to a report from Wyatt Massey of Spotlight PA (via TribLive.com), "Penn State trustees and high-ranking university representatives met privately twice in January to discuss whether to name the football field at Beaver Stadium after" Paterno.

As Massey noted, those private meetings are potentially in violation of a state law requiring such governing bodies to hold deliberations in public view, continuing a "decadelong pattern of the board convening behind closed doors."

The meetings reportedly occurred on Jan. 16 (a "briefing" on the proposal) and again on Jan. 29 (an "executive session").

"The Administration and the Board of Trustees have embarked on numerous change initiatives based on President Bendapudi's vision and goals and are focused on these priorities to continue to provide a world-class academic and student experience for years to come," an unnamed Penn State spokesperson said via email when asked by Massey about the alleged meetings.

That spokesperson added that "counsel conducted this privileged informational briefing and no deliberation occurred" and said that "confidential and privileged matters" were discussed by the trustees. The spokesperson maintained the meetings fell under legal guidelines, though that is up for debate.

The trustees were already sued in December by Spotlight PA and Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press for potential violations of the Sunshine Act, Pennsylvania's open public meetings law.

Paterno, who died in 2012, came under fire during the Jerry Sandusky sexual assault scandal for allegedly covering up Sandusky's pattern of abuse. Paterno was fired, his statue was removed from the school, the NCAA vacated his wins between 1998 and 2011 (they were later restored), and Penn State was fined $60 million and hit with a number of recruiting sanctions.

That set off a number of lawsuits and legal battles and has continued the debate over whether Paterno's legacy should be tarnished or if he was incorrectly accused of a cover-up. Naming the football field after him would reignite that debate.