"The NCAA slammed Penn State for the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal Monday with an unprecedented series of penalties, including a $60 million fine and the loss of all the school’s victories from 1998-2011, knocking Joe Paterno from his spot as major college football’s winningest coach," the Associated Press reports.
The story continues, "Other sanctions include a four-year ban on postseason games that will prevent Penn State from playing for the Big Ten title, the loss of 20 scholarships per year over four years and five years’ probation. The NCAA also said that any current or incoming football players are free to immediately transfer and compete at another school."
The AP story notes that "Sandusky, a former Penn State defensive coordinator, was found guilty in June of sexually abusing young boys, sometimes on campus. An investigation commissioned by the school and released July 12 found that Paterno, who died in January, and several other top officials at Penn State stayed quiet for years about accusations against Sandusky."
The article continues, " ‘Football will never again be placed ahead of educating, nurturing and protecting young people,’ [NCAA President Mark] Emmert said. By vacating 112 Penn State victories over a 14-year period, the sanctions cost Paterno 111 wins. Former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden will now hold the top spot in the NCAA record book with 377. Paterno, who was fired days after Sandusky was charged, will be credited with 298 wins."
The story adds that Penn St. has already agreed not to fight the sanctions.
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What is the penalty for the former president who is still employed on campus as a tenured professor?
IMO this is idiotic and overkill. This is punishing every single player who worked their asses off to win those championships, every member of their families who sacrificed to get them there, and the staff members who worked hard who weren’t involved in any cover up. The NCAA is right to levee some sanctions, but they should put their wrath on the people that deserve it, not indulge in a wholesale punishing of everyone over the last fourteen years who worked hard to win those awards. It seems to me the NCAA is grandstanding, throwing darts at the entire board rather than at the appropriate people. As Digital Guy said, those who perpetrated the cover up are still employed. What about hitting the right targets instead of a wholesale slaughter?
Kate,
If it was you or your child that was raped by this scum (you were obviously safe) I know you would think otherwise.
The entire program should have received the “death penalty”. That penalty is for repeat offenders. They, along with “Papa Joe”, repeatedly covered up child rape. All, including the tenured, should be convicted of assisting in child rape and should be in jail. But they have money and power and will be punished about as badly as the bankers who rigged rates and brought down the world economy. They are different.