From Big Ten Country Sean writes – It would appear that the Big Ten Conference will soon be searching for a new name for its Female Athlete of the Year award. It is currently named after Suzy Favor –Hamilton, a standout track star at the University of Wisconsin and former Olympian…and self-admitted escort.
Renaming conference trophies isn’t new for the Big Ten.
Prior to the Big Ten’s inaugural championship football game in 2011, the winner’s trophy was named the Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy. The trophy was named after Amos Alonzo Stagg who won 319 games in 57 years, most at the University of Chicago [a former Big Ten university] and in recognition of Joe Paterno’s 409 wins; at the time the most by a major college coach.
In light of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal at Penn State which eventually cost Paterno his job, Joe Pa’s name was removed from the trophy.
The trophy is now called the Stagg Championship Trophy.
If I may make a suggestion to the Big Ten and other organizations that feel incumbent to name trophies after individuals: make sure the person has been dead for at least 10 years and have passed an FBI background check. That may save everyone a bit of embarrassment.