General Motors reconsiders Penn State sponsorship in light of Sandusky scandal
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DETROIT -- In light of the child sex abuse scandal that has ensnarled Penn State, General Motors is re-evaluating its sponsorship of the university.
GM spokesman Tom Henderson said the company was reviewing whether to continue sponsoring the Nittany Lions, but he said he couldn’t comment on if or when a decision would be made.
The specific terms of GM's sponsorship at Penn State were not immediately available today.
Sponsorships of this nature are held by GM’s regional offices, Henderson said, adding that GM supports "a number of teams" in the NCAA. He said he couldn’t provide an exact figure of how many universities GM sponsors.
Earlier this week, the NCAA, college sports’ governing body, announced unparalleled penalties against Penn State after a report by former FBI Director Louis Freeh concluded that top Penn State administrators, including longtime football coach Joe Paterno, covered-up allegations of child sex abuse against former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.
The NCAA levied a $60 million fine against Penn State, issued the program a four-year bowl ban, drastically reduced its number of available scholarships and forced the school to vacate all games played from 1998 to 2011. Although GM hasn’t made a decision yet regarding its Penn State sponsorship, State Farm insurance said Tuesday that it would no longer air advertisements during Penn State’s televised home football games, the Associated Press reported. It will still advertise during Penn State’s away games.
“We will not directly support Penn State football this year,” State Farm spokesman Dave Phillips told the AP. “We just feel it was the best decision.”
State Farm had been considering pulling its support of Penn State since Sandusky was arrested on child-sex abuse charges in November, the AP reported. Last month, Sandusky, 68, was found guilty on 45 charges of child-sex abuse. Though Sandusky hasn’t been sentenced yet, it’s likely that he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison.
You can reach Joseph Lichterman at jlichterman@crain.com.
