NCAA Penn State child sex abuse scandal
1 ncaa
1.1 initial sanctions
1.2 sanctions rescinded
1.3 debate on suspension of football program
ncaa
initial sanctions
on november 17, ncaa president mark emmert wrote erickson—who had had interim tag removed title on same day—to ask him how penn state had exercised control on athletic program in wake of disclosures sandusky s crimes. letter demanded answers 4 specific questions how penn state had complied ncaa policies during time. penn state pledged full cooperation, asked defer response until after release of freeh report. on july 16, emmert appeared on pbs tavis smiley , said release of freeh report, penn state had weeks, not months answer questions d raised in november letter. hinted had not ruled out issuing so-called death penalty , have forced penn state cancel @ least 2012 season. ncaa had not handed down death penalty division school since southern methodist university hit in 1987 massive violations in football program. although ncaa required consider handing down death penalty if school commits 2 major violations within 5 years, has power shut down program without preliminary sanctions in event of particularly egregious misconduct.
shortly after release of freeh report, ncaa board gave emmert power take corrective , punitive action relative penn state, forgoing ncaa s normal investigative protocol. on july 22, 2012, ncaa announced impose corrective , punitive sanctions against both penn state football program , institution whole next morning.
on july 23, 2012, emmert announced following sanctions against penn state:
five years probation.
a four-year postseason ban.
vacating of wins 1998 2011–112 wins in all. had effect of stripping nittany lions of shared big ten titles in 2005 , 2008. removed 111 wins paterno s record, dropping him first 12th on ncaa s all-time wins list.
a $60 million fine, proceeds of go toward endowment preventing child abuse. according ncaa, equivalent of typical year s gross revenue football program.
loss of total of 40 initial scholarships 2013 2017. during same period, penn state limited 65 total scholarships—only 2 more division fcs (formerly i-aa) school allowed.
penn state required adopt recommendations reform delineated in freeh report.
penn state must enter athletics integrity agreement ncaa , big ten, appoint university-wide athletic compliance officer , compliance council, , accept ncaa-appointed athletic integrity monitor duration of probation.
the sanctions took form of sweeping consent decree in penn state accepted findings of fact ncaa , waived right appeal sanctions. full release granted players in program, allowing them transfer school without losing eligibility. according espn s don van natta, jr., ncaa , penn state had begun preliminary discussions possible sanctions in mid-july. patriot-news reported ncaa formally forwarded terms penn state s legal team on july 19. discussions continued on weekend, , final agreement ncaa s original proposal except minor concessions penn state.
in announcing sanctions, emmert said intended penn state case cautionary tale of athletics overwhelming core values of institution , losing sight of why participating in these activities can occur. said sanctions necessary force penn state reform athletic culture.
the big ten followed ncaa actions, concurring findings officially censuring penn state , levying separate fine of $13 million. in statement, conference stated intentions not destroy great university, rather seek justice , constructively assist member institution efforts reform. big ten financial penalty come psu gives four-year share of conference bowl revenue. $13 million, ncaa fines, instead donated victims of child sex abuse .
the ncaa said compelled act outside normal investigative process due described sheer egregiousness of misconduct detailed in freeh report. in ncaa s view, spanier, curley, schultz , paterno s cover-up of sandusky s crimes constituted failure of institutional , individual integrity, , violated basic principles of intercollegiate athletics on , above specific ncaa policies. additionally, ncaa said since penn state had commissioned freeh report , accepted findings, further proceedings redundant. emmert himself said freeh s investigation far more exhaustive have been mounted ncaa.
due deviation normal ncaa investigative process nature of sanctions, 4 trustees of university filed appeal of sanctions. board member ryan mccombie, 26-year u.s. navy veteran elected board in july 2012 members of school s alumni association, led trustee appeal. letter filed on trustees behalf paul kelly of jackson lewis llp ncaa called sanctions excessive , unreasonable . letter argued president erickson exceeded authority in accepting sanctions. in addition, group of former penn state football players, including former starting quarterback michael robinson filed own appeal. however, spokesman ncaa held sanctions not subject appeal.
sanctions rescinded
the ncaa rescinded of sanctions against penn state. on september 24, 2013, ncaa announced penn state s scholarships gradually restored until total amount of scholarships reaches normal 85 2016-17 year, first year after penn state s postseason ban. year later, on september 8, 2014, ncaa announced penn state eligible 2014 postseason , scholarships restored in 2015. several months later, on january 16, 2015, ncaa reinstated joe paterno , tom bradley s wins.
debate on suspension of football program
at least 2 penn state trustees, several alumni, criticized erickson accepting ncaa sanctions had. however, in press conference of own shortly after penalties handed down, erickson said harsh were, had no choice accept them. according erickson, had penn state not accepted penalties, ncaa have gone in direction —one have included ncaa canceling @ least 2012 season. erickson said under circumstances, had our backs wall, , had no choice accept consent decree since deal on offer. erickson subsequently told espn s john barr penn state facing long four-year ban play had not agreed sanctions imposed. erickson went further on july 25, saying emmert had told him on july 17—a day after emmert s interview smiley—that majority of ncaa leadership wanted shut down penn state football 4 years. said penn state have faced host of other severe penalties, including fine several times greater $60 million imposed. when erickson learned this, started talks ncaa, , able death penalty taken off table. erickson discussed actions board later night, , board resolved erickson s actions understandable under circumstances.
emmert , ncaa executive committee s chairman, oregon state president ed ray, subsequently acknowledged ncaa had considered imposing death penalty, denied penn state had been threatened 1 had not accepted consent decree. ray, committee charged emmert designing sanctions, told espn s adam rittenberg while there considerable debate whether include death penalty among sanctions, overwhelming position of members of both executive committee , division board not include suspension of play. categorically denied ncaa had threatened penn state death penalty had not accepted sanctions, , added using backup in case of such rejection never point of discussion within either executive committee or division board.
emmert himself told espn s bob ley death penalty unequivocally on table 1 of possible sanctions. however, said, penn state s swift corrective measures after scandal broke out in full—including forcing out spanier , paterno—were significant factors in taking death penalty off table. had penn state not been decisive were, emmert said, don t know outcome have been, suspect have been worse. emmert repeated ray s denial penn state had been threatened multi-year suspension had not agreed penalties, saying there had been confusion circumstances. did say, however, if erickson , penn state had not signed consent decree, ncaa have launched full-blown infractions investigation have had unknown outcome.
in consent decree itself, ncaa acknowledged there had been discussion imposing death penalty, noted severe penalty reserved repeat violators neither cooperated ncaa nor took corrective measures once violations came light. however, not noted penn state s swift corrective action, pointed out school had never been subject of major infractions case before. stood in contrast situation @ smu 25 years earlier; school officials there knew major violations occurring , did nothing stop them, , school had been under constant scrutiny ncaa on decade.
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