See you in about a decade, Penn State.
The NCAA announced its long-awaited sanctions against the Nittany Lion football program on Monday, and as was expected, the sanctions were incredibly harsh--so harsh, in fact, that it's safe to say Penn State will be a non-factor on the national scene for many, many years to come.
NCAA President Mark Emmert, acting with unprecedented authority, has decreed that Penn State will be ineligible for postseason play for the next four years. The NCAA also stripped the program of 20 scholarships, slapped Penn State with a staggering $60 million fine and erased all of its wins dating to the 1998 season. The Big Ten, meanwhile, announced that Penn State would not receive any of the league's bowl money over the next four seasons.
In announcing the sweeping punishment, Emmert said the Jerry Sandusky scandal was both "perverse and unconscionable." As a result, he said, the punishments needed to be severe. And without question, they were.
In the wake of the announcement, Penn State president Rodney Erickson said he accepted the punishment and vowed to move forward.
"Penn State will move forward with a renewed sense of commitment to excellence and integrity in all aspects of our University," Erickson said. "We continue to recognize the important role that intercollegiate athletics provides for our student athletes and the wider University community as we strive to appropriately balance academic and athletic accomplishments. Penn State will continue to be a world-class educational institution of which our students, faculty, staff and alumni can be justifiably proud."
Photo: Getty Images
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