Penn State Punishment Open Thread--UPDATE: NCAA Punshment--$60M Fine, Lots of Scholarships

Submitted by Zone Left on

This is your Penn State Open Thread. Keep the board open for other topics please. I know it's tempting, but lots of other, less disturbing topics are available to discuss. I'm not trying to censor anyone. Instead, this is an open place to discuss your thoughts. Keep it clean. I'll review the thread later and be very unkind to posters who decide to be jerks.

NCAA Punishment:

  • $60 million dollar fine payable to an endowment for sex abuse victims
  • 10 initial scholarships per year for 4 years
  • 65 total scholarships on the roster for four years
  • 4 year bowl ban
  • Free transfers at any point in an athlete's career

ijohnb

July 23rd, 2012 at 9:20 AM ^

guess is that Penn State will shut it down themselves for at least 1 year.  They will not be able to field a team of scholarship football players.  I am not sure how, logistically, but I don't think they will be a D1 football program after today.

In reply to by ijohnb

Mr. Yost

July 23rd, 2012 at 9:32 AM ^

And they won't do that...they'll lose waaaay too much money if they did that.

They could roll out 85 MGoBloggers in white and blue and there would still be people paying to see us get our shit kicked in while yelling "WE ARE...PENN STATE."

No way they remove the program.

They're not going to be good, but they'll have a team. I'd say they'll be a 3-5 win team.

Even without a bowl, you're going to get the purists AND you're going to get kids who just want to go to PENN STATE. It's a damn good school. There are guys who will never play in the NFL, that want to go to PSU for free.

Northwestern is a 6-6 type team and you don't go to Northwestern to play in bowls.

Mr. Yost

July 23rd, 2012 at 10:10 AM ^

To remember Alabama?

They managed to be mediocre when they lost 40 scholarships over 4 years or whatever it was...

 

USC was perfectly fine with their sanctions...they weren't a NC contender like they had been, but they were solid. PSU won't be the same, but they're not going to be a FCS school. Even if they get Indiana type recruiting classes it's going to take a couple years as things phase out. Then by the time it does, they'll be able to recruit to "getting PSU back."

Again, I'm not saying they're going to be good. I predicted 3-5 wins a year. But it wouldn't shock me if they went 6-6 one year. Again, Northwestern recruits kids and they know they aren't likely to go to a bowl.

ijohnb

July 23rd, 2012 at 10:25 AM ^

is not as strong of a brand right now as Bama was even before the Sandusky scandal, and the stigma of this particular scandal is unprecedented. 

Wait on the Big Ten at 11 AM.  I may be wrong and will be the first one to admit if I am, but I think there is still a shoe waiting to fall right now. 

turd ferguson

July 23rd, 2012 at 9:33 AM ^

This is much harsher.  Penn State could have put a death penalty in its past much more quickly than this.  Now, they can forget about this recruiting class and the next one - before you even get to scholarship reductions - and then the couple of classes after that should be very weak, too.  On top of that, they'll be under-investing in their football program because of the fines, and the scholarship reductions mean that they're going to have to find non-scholarship players who are willing to play for a program that's under this awful cloud and has no hope of playing in the postseason.

See you in ten years, Penn State.

ryebreadboy

July 23rd, 2012 at 9:13 AM ^

 

Penalties:

4 year postseason ban

Initial scholarship reduction from 25 to 15 per year for four years; any entering or returning athletes may transfer and immediately compete. Anyone who wants to stay may stay with scholarship, regardless of football competition.

$60 million dollar fine with funds used to support aid programs

1998-2011 wins VACATED

University athletics serve 5-year probation period with academic integrity monitor

Reserve the right to do a formal investigation later.

Noahdb

July 23rd, 2012 at 9:17 AM ^

This is about what I would've handed down to Ohio State. This should be the starting point for any major infraction. I hardly consider this to be worthy of "unprecedented punishment."

gopoohgo

July 23rd, 2012 at 9:21 AM ^

Erasing 13 years of wins is pretty unprecedented.

I think the punishment is about right; losing 10 schollies a year, with a 65 scholly cap with a 4 year bowl ban will obliterate their recruiting for a decade.

USC can get away with it because of their ability to recruit the very best, but even they will start feeling it near the end of their scholly ban due to lack of depth.

PSU has been cratered; they are going to be Minnesota East into the next decade.

a2_electricboogaloo

July 23rd, 2012 at 9:31 AM ^

I disagree.  As much as I dislike Ohio, this is not what they deserved.  This is basically going to destroy Penn States program for a long time to come, and is (in my opinion) more damaging than a year death penalty.  Do I think it is just for Penn State considering that grand and evil scope of a members of it's football program's transgressions, (within the NCAA's boundaries as an athletic and not a legal institution) yes.  But should it be a 'standard' for run of the mill violations, absolutely not.

Soulfire21

July 23rd, 2012 at 9:17 AM ^

My concern here is not whether or not Penn State should get penalties, I think it's pretty clear they should.  But in giving Emmert sole power in dealing the punishments without the NCAAs own investigation, no notice of violations, no response from Penn State, etc. has he overstepped his bounds?  Has the NCAA thrown away due process, or was the Freeh report and Sandusky's guilt in court enough?

I know Penn State needs punishment, but given the haste and emotion behind the decision I worry that one of our fellow schools will be a football wasteland for a decade.  Is it worth it to punish the current student athletes (who are totally unrelated to the child abuse case)?  Maybe, I'm honestly not too sure.

Brown Bear

July 23rd, 2012 at 9:21 AM ^

Emmert stated that the Freeh report was more thorough then any investigation the NCAA has ever done so doing their own was pointless(take note Paterno family). Also, penn state signed off on this so they aren't overstepping their boundaries when the university they are punishing agrees to said punishment.

snarling wolverine

July 23rd, 2012 at 11:18 AM ^

But in giving Emmert sole power in dealing the punishments without the NCAAs own investigation, no notice of violations, no response from Penn State, etc. has he overstepped his bounds?
PSU received notice from the NCAA back in November. Also, the NCAA doesn't actually investigate on its own. It relies on the schools' own investigations and then delivers a verdict. This really isn't anything out of the ordinary, other than that it's a pretty quick ruling.

Mr. Yost

July 23rd, 2012 at 9:20 AM ^

Not even close. Bobby Bowden is celebrating (sad, but we know it's true). Eddie Robinson also gets his record back.

But the biggest result is going to be athletically. They're going to have a BUNCH of players transfer or quit football. Also they're going to lose their recruiting class. In addition, in future years, they won't be able to recruit with a 4 year bowl ban and no scholarships.

Mr. Yost

July 23rd, 2012 at 9:18 AM ^

$60 million fine - 1 year revenue of football program

4 year bowl ban

25 scholarships to 15 for 4 years...

Vacate all wins from 1998 - 2011.

 

...plus a lot of probation, awareness, reviews and reports.