Penn State says it accepts penalties, will move forward
In a statement Monday, Penn State President Rodney Erickson said the university accepts the penalties issued by the NCAA, an indication that Penn State probably won’t appeal the sanctions.
“With today’s announcement and the action it requires of us, the university takes a significant step forward,†Erickson said in a statement.
NCAA President Mark Emmert said that the severe and unprecedented sanctions issued to Penn State and its football program reflected “tragic and tragically unnecessary circumstances.â€
“An argument can be made that the egregiousness and the behavior in this case is greater than any other seen in NCAA history,†Emmert said.
He continued: “No price the NCAA can levy will repair the grievous damage inflicted by Jerry Sandusky on his victims. However, we can make clear that the culture, actions and inactions that allowed them to be victimized will not be tolerated in collegiate athletics.â€
Penn State was hit with a $60-million fine (the equivalent of the average of its football program’s gross revenues in one year, the NCAA stated), and its football team was dealt a four-year postseason ban and scholarship reductions for four years.
Additionally, all Penn State sports were placed on probation for five years and the NCAA vacated the football team’s 112 wins from 1998-2011, 111 of which were credited to Joe Paterno.
Paterno, who had won 409 games for Penn State in his 46 seasons as Penn State’s head coach, is, as of Monday, no longer the winningest coach in the history of major college football.
Instead, Paterno, who died six months ago, is credited with 298, 12th most in the NCAA record books.
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Joe Paterno statue removed from Penn State
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