Big Ten Removes Joe Paterno’s Name From Championship Trophy
In the wake of the ongoing child sex abuse scandal that rocked the Penn State campus, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany announced Monday that the trophy given to the winner of the first-ever Big Ten championship game will no longer bear the name of legendary coach Joe Paterno.
“We believe that it would be inappropriate to keep Joe Paterno’s name on the trophy at this time,” Delany said. “The trophy and its namesake are intended to be celebratory and aspirational, not controversial. We believe that it’s important to keep the focus on the players and the teams that will be competing in the inaugural championship game.”
The trophy was to be known as the Stagg-Paterno Trophy. Now, it will be known simply as the Stagg Championship Trophy, named after Amos Alonzo Stagg. Stagg was the head coach at the University of Chicago, a founding member of the Big Ten, from 1892-1932. He went 199-94-22 and won two national championships during his tenure.