(1.) The inherent “Lack of Institutional Control” exhibited by Senior Administration officials at the highest levels in the University and in the Athletic
Department on an ongoing basis over an extended period of time.

(2.) The NCAA did not have to accept the Penn State Univerisity Freeh Report findings. The NCAA chose to accept the report at the request of the University President and the PSU BoT. In doing so, PSU agreed to whatever penalties and sanctions the governing body would issue. Remember there was premature talk of a “Death Penalty” against PSU.

This is where PSU was extremely smart in specific
regards to the 24 hour sports news cycle. By accepting the NCAA penalties and sanctions, PSU
was able to galvanize there base to support the University and it’s beleaguered football program.
A legend had just died, a new coach was coming on board. You have no idea if the program will even be able to survive. You still don’t to this day.

By accepting the sanctions and penalties without mental reservation unconditionally, PSU has gone through one year of penalties and if they can keep
competing in the B1G, they will be fine.

On the contrary, do you really think that a protracted, ongoing NCAA investigation of the PSU
Athletic Department would not have uncovered addition areas of concern that would have kept the Sandusky scandal on the sport pages for years?

PennState has a fighting chance now, I think that is all Penn State wants at this point.

He can continue to make the argument that 1) the PSU case warranted the NCAA to circumvent the Committee on Infractions or 2) he knew the investigation committee was fraught with improper behavior and was not to be trusted.

My best guess is the NCAA will restore the scholarships and PSU will continue payment of the $60M.

Personally, I believe the NCAA overstepped it’s charter by becoming involved in the issue, and only did because public perception if they had not would have been overwhelmingly negative given the publicity of the Sandusky case.

By using the Freeh report as justifying cause and not performing their own investigation, they were able to avoid the quandary of potentially having the infractions committee recommend no punishment due to lack of jurisdiction. Additionally, by not penalizing the ENTIRE athletics department and singling out the football program, they diminished the whole “lack of institutional” control argument.

PSU will still contribute $60 mill to fight child abuse.

Thanks again for putting it so succinctly.

(2.) Governor Corbett chose to file in Federal Court rather than State Court because the lawsuit is now in his Office, rather than in the State AG’s office, who happens to be a Democrat., and finally

(3.) Lawmakers grandstand. This is what is happening here. If I’m the President of the NCAA, I write to PSU and tell them that in light of political actions taken on their behalf in their State government AND PSU condoning such actions, the previous agreement is voided and a full fledge investigation of the PSU Administration, BoT, and Athletic Department will begin immediately. You would hear phones ring off the wall saying “We had a deal!”. An investigation will not be pretty and it will implicate many more people than it has to this point, perhaps even to Harrisburg.

I believe PSU doesn’t want any more negative press on a chapter people thought was closed.

This request is obviously about football revenue. I’m sure that the legislators in the state of PA are facing a budget problem, would prefer to fund Penn State to a lesser degree than it must in order to sustain it while in this turmoil, and are seeking solutions to reduce that cost.

Sad, that in the worst of times we can do nothing but argue over money.

Keep in mind that in the age of the internet and “everything now,” the response from PSU and the Alumni base will seem slow. But just because something hasn’t happened “yet” doesn’t mean it will happen “never.”

Well said – it’s unfortunate that 6 + months later the “football first and institution be protected at all costs” mentality appears to continue to prevail amongst the (most vocal) PSU faithful.

I do hope I am wrong. I for one would love to eat crow if that currently mute PSU crowd were to “rise up” and stand for something more than what the (what I dearly hope to be) vocal minority says PSU crowd condones…victory at all costs – including a child’s lost innocence.

1- PSU has a coach who is willing and able to get you through this, if others around the uni will shut up and get on board.

2- If by some slim chance you win in court of law, you would lose in the court of public opinion. How do you expect the coaches to talk to recruits parents about accountability and values if the school skirts punishment?

3- Imo, PSU fans should see it as an honorable endeavor to see this through. A travesty occurred, and see the sanctions as a way to ensure this never happens again. There is honor in righting wrongs. Make a statement that they will never stand for such evil.

In this case, we’re looking at a complete moral failure of institutional leaders to protect the community’s most vulnerable citizens from a marauding monster. Why? Not to improve the fortunes of the football team, but simply to avoid inconveniencing the football hierarchy. This team should have gotten the Death Penalty. The ongoing protests about the football equivalent of a slap on the wrist indicate that virtually no one connected with this insitution understands on any level the wrong that occurred here, the trivial reasons for leaving this monster on the loose for more than a decade, or the damage suffered by these children.

Apparently the only way to teach the lesson would be to wipe the program from the face of the earth like Sodom and Gomorrah.

I haven’t seen anything from PSU publicly disavowing the lawmakers movement. If anything such as this exists, please do direct us to that information.

Fact of the matter is – we have reduced the rape of several young men to arguing about football scholarships.

If it were my decision – PSU’s stadium and facilities would be a home for abused children and their football budget would be donated annually to anti-abuse organizations.

I find it disappointingly tragic that those boys lost innocence has been lost in the cacophony since these events came to light. To think that these young men had their innocence stolen by someone they looked to as an authority figure…only to have their violation ignored by adults in which their safety was entrusted to…is, quite frankly, a goddamned shame.

To attempt to make this about anything else makes one the equivalent of a an accomplice to the crimes committed against those boys.

They’re right though, the only lawsuits at this point are from politicians, not anyone currently [directly] connected to the University.

And @normtide, to say that the alumni base cares more about the football team than the victims seems a bit short sighted, especially since you know, uhhhh, this is a football site?

To me, the shocking part is the fact that PSU supporters are more angry over sanctions then the fact that child molestation was condoned. I once held these fans in high esteem. They reflect the PSU admin’s priorities concerning child welfare and football. A very sad state of affairs.

PSU’s punishment was light in my opinion, and the opinion of most.

(snip for brevity)

Sorry PSU. To ask for a reduction in penalties is only proof that you STILL don’t understand that the failure of your leadership is partly responsible for what transpired on your campus.

This is disgusting and sad.
+-+-+
Can we say PSU has a short attention span?

PSU is getting punished. What don’t you understand?

Maybe after this all blows over people will remember how much they love Penn State football and cut us some slack because their Saturdays are marginally less entertaining than they used to be.

Sorry PSU. To ask for a reduction in penalties is only proof that you STILL don’t understand that the failure of your leadership is partly responsible for what transpired on your campus.

This is disgusting and sad.