In the wake of the massive penalties passed down by the NCAA on Penn State’s football program, State Farm Insurance says it will no longer sponsor football at the school. No radio or TV ads will be aired during Nittany Lion home games and any banners and ads inside the stadium will be pulled, State Farm spokeswoman Arlene Lester said: “As a result of all the activity that’s happening, we decided to pull the sponsorship to continue to show our support for the victims. We have decided to cancel our football sponsorship for the coming season, but will remain sponsors for all the other (Penn State) teams we support.”
The insurance company reportedly won’t pull any ads during games when PSU is the visiting team. It also reportedly said its media sponsorship program with PSU football was similar to what it does with other major college and university athletic programs.
In a written statement, Penn State responded: “Our focus remains on rebuilding the Penn State culture and strengthening our community. We respect the decisions of sponsors who have chosen to pursue other paths and appreciate their years of support. We remain grateful for the continued relationships with our other partners as we begin a new chapter in Penn State’s history.”
State Farm, which has sponsored Penn State football for several years, has not made a decision about future seasons at this point, Lester said.
