The NCAA has already turned over lost scholarships to Penn State, and now it could be looking into lifting the postseason ban a little early as well.
The Sporting News cites a pair of sources with NCAA ties and reports Penn State could see the postseason ban lifted before the 2015 season, making the Nittany Lions eligible for a bowl game (and Big Ten Championship Game) starting next season. Per The Sporting News;Two sources within the NCAA say Penn State, if it continues to “reach and go beyond” benchmarks set by the NCAA in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, will have a “strong case” to get its final year of postseason probation lifted.
As early as next week, George Mitchell, Penn State’s athletics integrity monitor, will release his second annual report on the state of the university’s athletics programs. The NCAA last year restored some scholarships after Mitchell’s first report that, according to one NCAA source, “reached well beyond expectations.”
The NCAA left the door open for this possibility last summer when the organization decided to reward Penn State for its efforts in adhering to guidelines set-up by the NCAA following the release of the Louis Freeh Report, the investigation into Penn State’s handling and response to the crimes of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The NCAA had George Mitchell assigned to check up and report on progress being made at Penn State over the course of the sanction period, and his recommendations have been helpful in influencing the NCAA’s handling of Penn State. That the NCAA would now be considering lifting the final year of the bowl ban is not much of a surprise, given the precedent already set during this unprecedented sequence.
Prior to the 2012 season Penn State was issued a four-year postseason ban, as well as stripped of scholarships, victories and issued a $60 million fine. The NCAA has been mixed up in various legal battles related to the punishment to Penn State ever since as well.