ReutersAmong the sanctions NCAA president Mark Emmert levied against Penn State last week was a five-year probationary period with a monitor. The scholarship reductions and bowl bans got most of the attention, but the probation monitor is a key area to make sure Penn State stays compliant in the immediate future.
Officially, we now know who will be monitoring Penn State’s athletic department during that span. The NCAA announced on Wednesday that former U.S. Senator George Mitchell – yes, from baseball’s “Mitchell Report” on performance-enhancing drugs – would be in charge of all things compliance, effective immediately.
Below is a portion of the release from the NCAA, which you can read in its entirety HERE.
As Athletics Integrity Monitor, Mitchell will evaluate Penn State’s compliance with NCAA sanctions and the Athletics Integrity Agreement it will execute with the NCAA and the Big Ten Conference.
He will have broad access to the campus, personnel and records and can make any recommendations he believes are necessary for the university to comply with all of its requirements and enhance adherence to NCAA and Big Ten principles, values, ethics and rules.
NCAA President Mark Emmert informed the NCAA Executive Committee today of Mitchell’s selection.
“Senator Mitchell has impeccable credentials as a fair and experienced arbitrator nationally and globally,” Emmert said. “He will bring the benefit of his vast experience and knowledge to the execution of the agreement.”
Mitchell will prepare quarterly progress reports for the NCAA, Big Ten and Penn State’s board of trustees. He will also seek assistance from his law firm, DLA Piper, and other legal counsel as he sees fit.
Because he did such a great job for MLB… Can’t wait to see who he uses for sources in compliance!! Hilarious!
At least Mitchell won’t allow kids to be RAPED.
Mungman is Sandusky…Sandusky is Mungman
Mitchell’s a good guy. Very successful in Northern Ireland, not so much in the Middel East or MLB.
Also, not exactly sure of his role, other than as the NCAA enforcer of their recent sanctions.
Does anyone think that if Mitchell had been in place, doing this job in 1998, that anything would have been different? Would Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Gary Schultz or Joe Paterno confided in him about Sandusky? Nope.
I like George Mitchell, and I accept the PR requirement to impose a ‘compliance official’ on PSU, but it’s really PR. It’s the unifersity staff who mush now step up and begin to repair the damange – Mr. Mitchell can pretend to monitor and produce some reports, but if PSU is to recover, they must do the heavy lifting.
Who is the NCAA sending to ESPN as their compliance lord? AFTERALL, FOR 8 YEARS, THEY WITHHELD EVIDENCE OF CHILD MOLESTATION WITHIN THE SYRACUSE BASKETBALL PROGRAM!!!!!!!!!!!
Mitchell is a hard core left-wing Democrat nutcase. Last time I checked, those are the same people that support groups like NAMBLA and GLAAD. But he’s going to keep children from being molested? (rolling eyes)
@TLMOON2112
So, you believe children who live in the State College area of PA continue to be ‘at risk’ from employees or students at PSU? And that the role of the NCAA enforcement official is to prevent child abuse in the State College area?