NCAA Steps in Where They are not Needed, Hands Down Sanctions to Penn State

The NCAA handed down harsh sanctions today against Penn State in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal.  The school received a $60 million fine, four-year postseason ban, the loss of 20 scholarships per year over four years, and five years probation.  All of Penn State’s wins from 1998-2011 will also be vacated.  The NCAA said that any current or incoming football payers will be able to immediately transfer and play at another school.  It was a heavy penalty for the now former football powerhouse that will effectively cripple the program for at least the immediate future.

Since the scandal broke, there have been mixed feelings regarding how best to punish the school.  Some thought Penn State should receive the “death penalty”, meaning the team is barred from playing for an extended period of time, while others thought the NCAA should simply let the law take its course.  While the NCAA stopped just short of the death penalty, they sent a clear message to Penn State that their failure to act in the name of their football program would not be tolerated.

As I sat down to write this blog, I found it difficult.  When it became known that Penn State could receive the death penalty, I disagreed, but it was difficult to argue against it.  I have zero sympathy for those who turned a blind eye, but I did not want the NCAA involved.  I still feel that way today, though I still cannot argue against most of the penalties handed down.  Ultimately it just seems like the NCAA took pointless action against a school still reeling from this scandal.  These sanctions give the NCAA a hollow victory that is both too little, and too late.

Today, I have the same hollow feeling I had the night Jerry Sandusky was convicted.  Yes, I was glad.  Yes, it means he will spend the rest of his life in jail, but it was not something to celebrate.  While Sandusky will never be able to commit these atrocious acts again, he had already abused several young boys.  When considering the death penalty or these new penalties, it seems trivial.  What does a post season ban mean to the victims?  How can we convert the crimes of Sandusky into the terms of sanctions against the football program?  That’s why I did not want the NCAA involved.

The NCAA exists to make sure all schools follow the rules of the NCAA.  Jerry Sandusky broke the law.  Former president Graham Spanier, former vice president Gary Schultz, former athletic director Tim Curley, and former coach Joe Paterno at the very least failed in their moral responsibilities and may have broken the law.  Each has been and will be further punished.  For the NCAA to swoop in and give football penalties just seems insignificant.  In the wake of this scandal, who cares how man wins Paterno has?  Who do these sanctions help?  Who does it hurt?  None of the men mentioned above remain at the university.  You punish the community and the student body.  You hurt the other sports.  Granted, the NCAA stipulated the monetary fine cannot be taken from non revenue sports, but anyone who thinks this will not impact the athletic department as a whole is naïve.

Still, this is what the NCAA does; these are the only means they have at their disposal.  On June 10, 2010, the NCAA imposed sanctions against the University of Southern California football program after discovering Reggie Bush and his family were given improper gifts.  Head coach Pete Carroll, however, had accepted the Seattle Seahawks head coaching positions in January 2010.  The school was punished, Carroll was not.  What could the NCAA do?  Nothing really, you have to punish the school in order to deter other schools from committing violations and to teach a school that they are not bigger than the rules.  How does that apply here?  Are people going to be deterred from covering up sexual abuse?  I sincerely hope that is not a lesson many people need to be taught.  Is it a lesson Penn State needs to learn?  An argument could certainly be made to that affect.  Based on the findings of the Freeh reports, it certainly appears that whatever may have been known about Sandusky’s crimes was covered up so as not to reflect negatively on the program.  The fact that an assistant coach can see Sandusky abusing a child in the locker room and his first thought is to bring it to Paterno, hat in hand, rather than call the police or at the very least save the child is just plain wrong.  A change was needed, but keep in mind one thing: Paterno WAS Penn State football.  He was the head coach from 1966 to 2011.  The fact that Paterno, who most would have thought was untouchable, was fired in the midst of this scandal IS a culture change.  Firing Paterno is the school trying to change the culture of their program.  If you think more was needed that’s fine, but do not underestimate the effect his firing had.

Reflecting on the punishments, NCAA should have stayed out of it, but Penn State deserved everything they got.  You cannot feel sorry for a school that turned a blind eye to Sandusky’s crimes and allowed for him to continue to prey on other children.  Crippling the football team, however, will serve as little comfort to the victims.  This was bigger than the NCAA and football.  Now the NCAA will pat themselves on the back and claim justice has been done, Penn State officials will be asked how they can overcome these sanctions, the team will adopt an “us vs. the world” mentality, and everyone will focus on what matters most:  football.  The victims will thank you NCAA; no doubt their biggest concern was for the future of Penn State football.