Penn State gets $60 million fine; Paterno wins vacated
Workers remove the statue of Joe Paterno from outside Beaver Stadium Sunday. (AP Photo/Centre Daily Times, Christopher Weddle)
The NCAA on Monday imposed severe sanctions against Penn State in the Jerry Sandusky sex scandal but stopped short of imposing the “death penalty.”
NCAA President Mark Emmert said the penalties would include a $60 million fine, a four-year bowl ban, a reduction in football scholarships from 25 to 15 for four years and the vacating of all victories from 1998 to 2011. Football scholarships will be capped at 65, 20 fewer than the normal 85.
Emmert also said that any Penn State athlete who wants to transfer to another school can do so and be eligible to play immediately.
Emmert, speaking at a news conference at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, said the $60 million fine equals one year’s revenues for the Penn State football program.
“These funds must be paid into an endowment for external programs preventing child sexual abuse or assisting victims and may not be used to fund such programs at the university,” the NCAA said in statement.
Emmert said the penalties are in response to “an athletic structure that went horribly awry” but acknowledged that no penalty could undo “the tragic damage that has been done to the victims and their families.”
Penn State officials said they would not challenge the penalties.
“Against this backdrop, Penn State accepts the penalties and corrective actions announced today by the NCAA,” Penn State President Rodney Erickson said in a statement. “With today’s announcement and the action it requires of us, the University takes a significant step forward.”
The NCAA’s action comes less than two weeks after a report from former FBI director Louis Freeh found the late Joe Paterno and other Penn State officials covered up years of sexual abuse of young boys by Sandusky, the Nitanny Lions’ former defensive coordinator.
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229 comments Add your comment
Skitty Fritty
July 23rd, 2012
10:23 am
Alabama better rethink allowing the HC, AD and team doctor to address discipline issues after this announcement.
Dave
July 23rd, 2012
10:23 am
NCAA did it right! The sanctions are leveled against the university. The 60 million is not going to the NCAA but to an endowement. The only way to get the attention of the university and other schools is by hitting them in the pocketbook. The sanctions do this for an extended period and oh by the why screw up during this period and there is more to come.
Join Reality
July 23rd, 2012
10:24 am
The NCAA stepping in and prescribing a medicine of fines and reduced scholarships and stealing away victories from Coach Paterno is like the USDA levying fines on Farmer Brown for using his cattle ranch to launder money for the mob.
Ken
July 23rd, 2012
10:24 am
This is a cover-up, if Penn St does not get the death penalty, then the death penalty should have never been given to SMU, etc… and should never be given to any University in the future.
Bobby Bowden: Winningest Coach of All Time
July 23rd, 2012
10:25 am
I always said Joe wore them dark glasses so people couldn’t see his inner demon peering out at them.
I didn’t realize it was a REAL Demon Joe had in him, actually from He l l.
TechRon
July 23rd, 2012
10:27 am
Absolute BS. NCAA is way out of line. Who are they punishing? People who are not guilty and did not even know about the wrongdoings. Sandusky is going to prison, Paterno is dead. Everyone else needs to be left alone. Aren’t they there to make sure that no one cheats and gets a competitive advantage over other schools? I would say that are way out of their area of authority. Sandusky is the cause of all of this and bears the main burden of guilt. Paterno has some culpability: he should have called the cops after he saw the President do nothing. The President of PSU deserves a huge kick in the ass also. How is any of this the fault of everyone who is left to suffer now? Students, alumni, supporters, current coaches and players, businesses and workers who depend on the program, all are completely innocent. Complete nonsense. NCAA should but out and let the law decide what to do with the guilty parties.
I am the farthest thing from a Penn. State fan, but I have to tell you I am up in arms about this!
Paddy
July 23rd, 2012
10:28 am
I knew it was gonna happen. ……….The investigation was financed by PSU. But it was independent and run by the former FBI Director. Believe me when I say, PSU wished it would have never commissioned that investigation. It was the backbone of the fndings of the NCAA. That report nailed the school to the wall. No this was not an OJ deal, far from it!
bill
July 23rd, 2012
10:29 am
SMU got the death penalty because the NCAA discovered a million dollar slush fund from which players were paid salaries for playing. The NCAA gave them a punishment and SMU agreed to never do it agin. The following year SMU continued to pay players from a different slush fund because they felt like they were contractually committed to these players. The Texas Governor was involved as a Regent and when discovered the NCAA gave them the death penalty. They were caught doing the same thing after they promised to never do it again. Had they waited a couple of years or cheated in some other way like Ohio State they would have been slapped on the wrist.
G
July 23rd, 2012
10:30 am
Only time will tell on how severe these penalties will impact PennSt. They should recover from the $60M, but the scholarship reduction (in the Big10) may prove to be more harmful than some skeptics think.
Old Tech
July 23rd, 2012
10:30 am
At too many Universities wins are more important than ethics. This has happened at other places, and I hope they all can come to light, now. Schools need to be about education. Athletics have a place as a part of that education, but the last 50 years it has become the reason unto itself.
We need to return to the days when coaches were do allowed to be paid more than other faculty members. Let the NFL & NBA paid the multi-millionaires. College coaches need to teach & lead, regardless of the win/loss record.
Old Tech
July 23rd, 2012
10:31 am
“were NOT allowed….”
Bobby Bowden: Winningest Coach of All Time
July 23rd, 2012
10:31 am
With all the soul-selling and downright evil those two had to do to win in college football, I bet Bear Bryant and Joe Paterno are fighting over a glass of ice water where they are right now.
Tdawg
July 23rd, 2012
10:32 am
This is total BS. In case the NCAA hadn’t heard, the guilty parties are already being dealt with. By the law. A governing body that unlike the NCAA, has the authority to do so. The guilty parties are no longer at Penn State, so how the he!! are these sanctions going to teach Penn State a lesson? Some of you morons wants to give Penn State the death penalty. Who’s gonna receive this penalty? The coaches there now, the players, the alumni, the students and the new administrators, none of which is responsible for this mess. The NCAA is way over stepping its bounds and just posturing. Penn State will take this to court and teach the NCAA a lesson that it has needed to learn for a long time coming. The NCAA knows that when this goes to court they will be laughed out of the building. The only reason they are doing this, is because they are just trying to get a few brownie points from the outraged fans. People have a right to be pissed off at Penn State. How about being pissed off at the right people though. You know. The one’s that are no longer there.
Bobby Bowden: Winningest Coach of All Time
July 23rd, 2012
10:34 am
If this criminal activity had happened in Tuscaloosa, all those young boys reporting those horrible crimes would have… “disappeared.”
Coincidentally, so would have any investigations or lawsuits.
old dog
July 23rd, 2012
10:34 am
The main one who SHOULD get the death penalty (literally) is Sandusky; they could hold a lottery on who gets to push the needle/be the hangman/pull the switch. If ever the death penalty in this nation should be applicable, it is to this snot rag.
mambo
July 23rd, 2012
10:34 am
This is a ceremonial slap on the wrist.
G
July 23rd, 2012
10:34 am
In addition, the NCAA is allowing athletes to transfer without prejudice. We may see the impacts to this program immediately.
brad
July 23rd, 2012
10:34 am
What’s your fixation with Bryant about?
I knew it was gonna happen.
July 23rd, 2012
10:35 am
Hey TechRon, idiot line is over there. A penalty serves two purposes, or should. One is a warning to all who dare go there. This is about Penn State and anybody observing.
AUtom
July 23rd, 2012
10:36 am
Firstly, the NCAA could not give the Death Penalty because Penn St would have no incentive to pay the penalty. Football is their cash cow and PSU wont pay a fine to keep the other sports that are just formalities and expenses going. Secondly, the NCAA is just cashing in on the mistakes of a few idiots.Jerome MJ how do you figure the businesses,students,and college personnel were all complicit if the DA didnt. Please stop posting because you are a fool.And the alumni of almost every school is proud of the university. That is the nature of any competitive organization so what is the point?
I agree with CrAzy that the NCAA shouldnt punish the rest of the students,athletes,and university personnel that had nothing to do with this. The bulk of the punishment should be shouldered by those in this. C Moakler is right and this should be handled by the legal system and not the NCAA in a kangaroo court. This is beyond the scope of sports. Should the whole university be shut down because three or four employees were involved.There would be way more innocent victims in that scenario. And it is the same for the athletic program.We focus so much on penalty and not enough on reality.
ed
July 23rd, 2012
10:39 am
let the transfers begin.. cant wait to see what kind of team they field this year.. lol
over1861
July 23rd, 2012
10:39 am
The NCAA really needs to stick to what they are qualified to do. I believe they are limited or should be limited to athletic issues. They should stick to monitoring on field actions and recruiting violations. Legal matters should be handled by the legal authorities. I guess next they will be punishing coachs and athletes if one of them kills somebody!
Buckeye
July 23rd, 2012
10:40 am
And please make sure, if you ever cover up years of child rape, please do not lie about tattoos.
I knew it was gonna happen.
July 23rd, 2012
10:40 am
The state attorney general should investigate the Board of Regents chair that resigned last week too. His is knee deep in this most likely. What you bet, he didn’t pressure or threaten other members.
pbt dawg fan
July 23rd, 2012
10:42 am
UGA only has 69 scholarship players. CMR should already be on a plane to State College, PA
Buckeye
July 23rd, 2012
10:43 am
Under the circustances, the NCAA made reasonable accomodations to the current players including transfer and saying on scholarhsip if one opts out of the football program.
What is utter BS, is the punishment hurts the current football players and fans who had zero to do the incident.
Skitty Fritty
July 23rd, 2012
10:44 am
AUtom:
How does this shut down the whole university? Based on your tag line of Auburn then it is all about football? I guess I have a better understanding of Cam Newton now and how Auburn fans think.
Dr. Phil
July 23rd, 2012
10:45 am
Put the President and AD in prison. If the NCAA wants to stop cheating and lying, hold coaches responsible and ban those who run cheating and out of control programs.
Aquagirl
July 23rd, 2012
10:45 am
You people who think Penn St should have got the death penalty because of the actions of few have absolutely no compassion for the players who went there in good faith. The death penalty would hurt those players WAY more than it would the school
Look, if you want to live out your life vicariously through a bunch of football players who got the chance you never had, fine. But don’t make them more important than raped children and a program totally out of control.
The players can transfer to other schools anyhow, but OMG WE MIGHT RUIN THEIR PERFECT JOCK FANTASY. Cry me a river, boy. Now grow up and show a little more concern for raped kids than your fantasy stand-ins.
If your first concern in this matter is “what about the football players” you need to take a serious look at your life because it’s downright pathetic. Turn off the TV, stop spending your entire weekend looking at young men in tight pants, wishing that was YOU out there.
Bobby Bowden: Winningest Coach of All Time
July 23rd, 2012
10:46 am
Did Joe Paterno conveniently fake his own death and then clandestinely escape to South America like Adolf Hitler did to elude the accountability and criminal prosecution for his own crimes?
Would you really be surprised if he did? REALLY?
dawgfan75
July 23rd, 2012
10:47 am
Any program that is so caught up their own perceived importance that it allows the rape of children in order to protect itself should be dismantled and buried. I have lost all respect for the NCAA. If the Big 10 schools do not protest this slap on the wrist then they do not deserve respect, either.
Buckeye
July 23rd, 2012
10:48 am
I can’t believe you dogs would want any slow payers from the Big 10.
ToccoaDawg
July 23rd, 2012
10:49 am
The NCAA did what it had to do. The punishment could have been more severe and I would still agree with it. This was a coverup from the Top down. No team should be above the law. The current players and Coaches at PSU will have to pay for something they didn’t do, and that’s the sad part in all of this. But this will just go to show what integrity Coach O’Brien and the PSU Players have. They will have to lay the ground work for a new PSU program, one with honesty and integrity. Doing the right thing isn’t always the easy thing, it IS the HONORABLE thing. Good luck to Coach O’Brien and the current PSU players.
I knew it was gonna happen.
July 23rd, 2012
10:49 am
I believe Paterno committed suicide. Yes, lung cancer is one of the worst and fastest to kill, but still he appeared fine in late Nov, then dead in Jan. Come on.
Al Bundy
July 23rd, 2012
10:50 am
Yes, they are punishing people who were not directly involved, but what is the alternative? Let them get away with it? The school had to be penalized. The players can leave if they choose to. At this point, they probably wont be able to find a school with scholarships available for this season, though.
Bobby Bowden: Winningest Coach of All Time
July 23rd, 2012
10:53 am
Y’ALL IS…
PENN STATE !
—-
L O L !
Ernie
July 23rd, 2012
10:54 am
Hello everyone, great discussion. I am writing a story on this for the AJC and I am looking to speak directly to some Penn State alums in the Atlanta area. If that is you, or you know of someone, please email me. esuggs@ajc.com. Thanks
brad
July 23rd, 2012
10:55 am
Bobby, let’s here more about Bryant and Hitler. Clearly you’re on to something that the rest of the world has missed.
UGA INSIDER
July 23rd, 2012
10:55 am
These sanctions are basically the death penalty. 4 yr loss of schollys and a 4 year post season ban are bad but the NCAA crushed this program by allowing kids to transfer immediately. Although it is late to transfer I would imagine some of the Rfresh and sophomores will leave promptly. This will destroy the program for 10-15 years.
Look for a couple of Penn St Olineman to end up at UGA. We hired the strength coordinator who has many ties to these players. Look for UGA to land 2 or 3 players I would guess. You heard it here first.
DIT
July 23rd, 2012
10:56 am
It’s a sad group of people on here that are more worried about who’s the most winningest coach now that Paterno’s wins are vacated. Who gives a flip about most wins. The victims are the ones that came out of it the worst. All the money in the world can’t take away what that man and University took away from them when they were 10-11 years old.
SG
July 23rd, 2012
10:57 am
Isn’t this all a bit harsh for PSU? Hear me out, when I hear “Sandusky” my stomach goes into knots, I feel sick! I am very disgusted with the team leaders & feel they should be punished as well. My question is, aren’t there others within PSU who had nothing to do with this & had no knowledge of it but yet they too are being punished for these horrible events that ruined so many lives including theirs to no fault of their own? I don’t know but I feel PSU as a whole is going down & it doesn’t feel right to me. That animal & those greedy spineless leaders should not have the power to ruin more lives.
UGA INSIDER
July 23rd, 2012
10:58 am
Al Bundy:
Try UGA. We have 16 available spots and a strength coach who knows all the PSU players. Look for UGA to land a few. Great opportunity to get some depth on our Oline.
Help wanted --Need TB at UGA
July 23rd, 2012
10:58 am
All TB at Penn State please apply especially if you can pass block
LakeDawg
July 23rd, 2012
10:58 am
I’m hoping this is a sea change with the NCAA. I’m encouraged by Emmert’s comments calling for an end to hero worship of these coaches. Maybe amatuerism can make a comeback. Football has way too much power at most of these universities. The collegiate spirit that I loved when I first started following college football is all but dead.
Alphare
July 23rd, 2012
10:58 am
NCAA is totally wrong with this penalty. Those who committed crimes should pay in the court of law, like Sandusky, the former DA and president. NCAA should fine those people.
But instead, the NCAA is punishing the innocent, the bystanders and those who are trying to make something good out of the evils.
I knew it was gonna happen.
July 23rd, 2012
10:58 am
Penn State National Champions before 2021. You saw it here. Listen, how long did it take GB to win the super bowl when that overrated idiot Farve was gone. Penn State will forever regret hold on to Paterno. Forever.
James
July 23rd, 2012
10:59 am
Penn State= SCUM! The whole adminstration
up there cover up this just to win a few football
games? Just sickening!
I hope Penn State becomes the new SMU of this decade
and never recovers… who is the heck would want to send
a kid up there to play now?
Bobby Bowden: Winningest Coach of All Time
July 23rd, 2012
10:59 am
I read somewhere that Adolf Hitler’s last documented words before faking his own death were “ROLL TIDE!”
The Statue Truth
July 23rd, 2012
11:00 am
I think it is safe to say, that anytime a school puts up a statue of a current coach while he is still coaching at that school, that the football program and that coach has way to much power in that school.
What say you?
macrotech
July 23rd, 2012
11:00 am
I understand that the ncaa is making an example of Penn State’s silence on such a heinous situation…however, I really hate the way it effects ALL the people that had nothing to do with the cover-up and hardly effects the lives of the people responsible for the crimes. Joe Pa has passed away, Sandusky, I’d imagine is more worried about his cell mates and the former President and AD of PSU has been released. I confess that I don’t have an answer…it just appears that the ncaa has used this case to fluff up their flightless feathers for the TV cameras. I was more irritated by the way Mark Emmert pranced about the stage as he fielded questions…he was eating up all the attention…come to think of it…he’s PERFECT as the face of the ncaa!