Although former Penn State coach Joe Paterno is not a target in the over 50 counts of child-sex charges against former PSU defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, his professional and business image may as well have a bullseye.
The school confirmed to the Associated Press on Friday that they will no longer license Paterno’s name, likeness or image effective immediately. Paterno’s daughter, Mary Kay Hort, will now wholly handle the licensing program for JVP Properties. The school sent out a release to licensees last week notifying them of the changes.
There’s been a lot written about Paterno’s role in the Sandusky scandal -- we’ve contributed to that debate -- but no matter what Paterno did or didn’t do, his legacy has taken a severe hit on multiple fronts, including his brand.
It’s certainly not the most important part of this story -- it should absolutely be overlooked given the sensitive nature of the allegations -- but it’s still a legitimate angle. Joe Paterno was Penn State football and certainly one of the prominent faces of college football.
Penn State’s decision to end what is essentially an off-field business relationship with Paterno is a reflection of how large the ramifications of this scandal can be.