The new scoreboard at Beaver Stadium, as well as other new sponsorships, "has highlighted Penn State’s ability to grow after losing sponsorships because of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal," according to Mark Dent of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Penn State Sports Properties GM Doug Nelson, who oversees Learfield Sports' Penn State arm, said that the agency is "anticipating growth" of 16% for the '14-15 year and that sponsorship has "particularly grown with Pennsylvania companies." In the wake of the Sandusky scandal three years ago PSU "either lost sponsorships entirely or at least for football purposes with State Farm, GM, Cars.com and Sherwin-Williams." But at last weekend's game against UMass, "eight different advertisements were displayed at the same time" on the new scoreboard, "either permanently affixed on the sides of the scoreboard or temporarily on the video screen." Beyond the ads on the scoreboards, "new places for gaining revenue from sponsors have been apparent." PSU this season "sold a title sponsorship for its student section" for the first time. Students "are no longer sitting in a student section, they are sitting in the student section presented by The Apartment Store, a division of Keystone Real Estate Group." The athletic department "has also convinced Tostitos to sponsor the 'two-minute warning' -- which doesn’t exist in college football -- for games at Beaver Stadium." From local shops to multinational corporations, Penn State "has recently sold sponsorships to a variety of businesses, including to a casino." The Sands-Bethlehem resort "has sponsored the Penn State Sports Network" since '12. PSU Associate AD/Business Relations & Communications Tom McGrath said that the school "allowed a partnership with the Sands because of its status as a resort" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/26).
