Everybody has a reaction to the sex abuse scandal that has rocked Penn State, the state of Pennsylvania and the nation. After witnessing what happened in the wake of the firing of Joe Paterno, Nebraska Athletics Director Tom Osborne has requested increased security for his school's football team and traveling party as they make the trip to State College for a Big Ten match-up.
“A lot of people have inquired about security, so we’ve talked to their interim athletic director, and he’s assured us that there will be additional security in the stadium,” Osborne said. “With an [12] o’clock kickoff, I think things will be fine. I know there is some student activity to try to make sure that Nebraska fans are treated well. We’ll see how that works out, but at least they’re making that initiative.”
Osborne and others are recommending that Nebraska fans, known to travel in large numbers to Nebraska road games, not wear as much red or Nebraska gear as they normally would out of fear for a worst case scenario. Nebraska fans are also being encouraged to not incite Penn State fans. Osborne's remarks came after he claimed that he received multiple inquiries from Nebraska fans concerned about the scene at Penn State this weekend.
With such a landmark sexual abuse case unfolding and large-scale national attention being given to it fans should not be surprised to see protests and other possible demonstrations and rallies on Saturday. The Westboro Baptist Church is planning on staging a demonstration outside Beaver Stadium from 10 a.m. until kickoff, for example.
Sponsorships are also being pulled surrounding Penn State. Cars.com pulled their presenting sponsorship of two games involving Penn State the next two weeks, including this weekend's game against Nebraska. The other is next weekend's road game at Ohio State.
Sherwin Williams was one of the first noticeable sponsors to be removed form Penn State. Their logo was removed from the background in the media room inside Beaver Stadium. You can see a before picture here, and an after picture here.
There has been a growing concern by some on what this scandal could do for Penn State's bowl situation. While understanding that a bowl trip is down far on the list of priorities at this time for Penn State, the question is out there on whether or not they should attend a bowl game.
Examiner.com contacted the Rose Bowl, Gator Bowl, TicketCity Bowl, Outback Bowl and Capital One Bowl (all potential bowl destinations for Penn State) to ask if what is happening in State College would have any impact on whether or not a bowl extends an invitation to the university. To date, no bowl has responded to say no, but that does not mean things could change. All bowl games have significant sponsorships, some with sponsors in the bowl's name, so it is something worth keeping in mind. If sponsors are pulling out of backing anything affiliated with Penn State, it would be logical to believe it could have an impact, even if it is not admitted publicly.
But the urgency to fill seats in a bowl game may take precedent over some of the larger issues at hand, even if it comes in a negative light. While the Rose Bowl would be obligated to invite a Big Ten champion (still a possibility for Penn State), other bowls would have a pick of teams remaining. Penn State fans travel well and have historically been well represented in bowl games no matter the year. In an age where some bowls struggle to fill seats, any bowl that includes Penn State would likely not be at risk of a poorly attended bowl game.
As far as the Big Ten is concerned, Examiner.com contacted the conference to see if the Big Ten would have any say in whether or not Penn State attends a bowl game. The thought is that Big Ten schools have obligations to fill bowl spots for the conference, which splits the bowl revenue. It could be possible that the university may be pressured or encouraged to fulfill their bowl obligation for the conference.
Examiner.com has contacted the Big Ten for comment on this situation and has not received a reply at this time.
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