Penn State decided Friday to cut its contract with Russell Athletic, following eight other universities across the nation, university officials said.

Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs, wrote in an e-mail to members of United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) Friday morning that the university will terminate its licensing contract with the apparel manufacturer on March 31.

Sims wrote in the e-mail that he met Friday with Penn State President Graham Spanier, Associate to the President for Administration Tom Poole and Penn State's Director for Trademark Licensing Maureen Riedel.

"We met to discuss the Russell Athletic situation in light of the response the company recently provided to our earlier letter expressing concerns," Sims wrote.

He added that Riedel would be alerting Russell later in the day of Penn State's decision to cut its contract.

Penn State earlier this month put Russell Athletic on probation.

Russell, a supplier of licensed apparel to Penn State and other universities, has been embroiled in a workers' rights controversy after closing its Jerzees de Honduras plant