BEAVERTON, Ore. — Sportswear giant Nike said Wednesday that its relationship with Penn State had not changed amid the child sex abuse scandal that has engulfed the university and resulted in the ousting of football coach Joe Paterno and school president Graham Spanier.
A Nike spokeswoman told The Oregonian late Wednesday that the company also had no plans to change the name of the Joe Paterno Center, a daycare facility at the company’s world headquarters near Beaverton, Ore.
Of all Nike’s endorsement deals with college football coaches, the one with Paterno was undoubtedly the longest and probably the closest, the newspaper said.
Addressing whether Nike would continue as Penn State’s footwear and uniform supplier, spokeswoman Erin Dobson said, “Our relationship with Penn State remains unchanged.
“We are deeply disturbed by the claims brought forth in the indictments. We will continue to monitor the situation closely,” she added.
The Penn State Board of Trustees announced late Wednesday that Paterno and Spanier no longer held their respective positions, with the school facing a huge backlash over its handling of child sexual abuse allegations against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky.
Sandusky has been charged with 21 felony counts for allegedly abusing eight male minors over a period of 15 years.