Did the NCAA overstep their authority?

[TykeClone]

Exactly right. If PSU objected to this punishment, they always have the option of withdrawing from the NCAA altogether. While they are voluntarily part of the association, they are subject to its bylaws and its punishments.

And the NCAA had an option of booting the university as well - Penn State should be thankful that didn't happen.

[anticyclonic]

What is planned for the $60,000,000 fine? Is it going into NCAA coffers or will they do the right thing and direct it into programs to prevent abuse and similar problems?

[DistrictCyclone]

What is planned for the $60,000,000 fine? Is it going into NCAA coffers or will they do the right thing and direct it into programs to prevent abuse and similar problems?

The latter. Same with the Big Ten's withheld revenue.

[Clonefan94]

I really can't answer the poll as posted.

I don't think the NCAA should get involved in every criminal activity. But in this case, they definitely should have done something and did.

They aren't punishing PSU because someone there molested a child, they are punishing PSU because everyone knew it happened in their athletic facilities, by one of the coaches, yet the only action taken was to cover it up. They are punishing the cover up of a crime, not the crime.

IF they would have outed Sandusky from the beginning and set the law on him right away, their would have been a bit of a scandal for sure, but the NCAA never would have been involved in dishing out punishment.

[anticyclonic]

Good!

[Tre4ISU]

I think an underlying thing has been overlooked. We, at ISU often babble on about how unfair the NCAA is to the "little guy." Can we appreciate them just a little for this? In the past five years they have slapped the **** out of some big boys. USC got smacked. You don't think so? Wait a couple years until there are 10 seniors and juniors on their roster. Kelvin Sampson got whooped. Jim Tressel has been removed and OSU did get hit (although it was a touch light). Now PSU has had the boom dropped on their faces. Sure, the NCAA has not been hard on a lot of cases maybe they should have been but they have given notice that they will take action. Mark Emmert isn't afraid to ***** slap you hard if you screw up. Schools need to take notice of him because it seems like he has had enough. He made these decisions quickly with no bias when he had every excuse to not take action, at least this soon. I would be surprise if from now on out we don't see some things cleaned up and heavy and swift action if they aren't. Will there be payments? Of course. You can't monitor well enough not to have some of that. Will there be other shady stuff? Of course, there is just to much pressure to win. However, there will be things on the light side of violation that will be avoided and the very serious stuff will be avoided.

[flycy]

Disagree. Baylor basketball sets the bar really low.

"It's unprecedented to have this extensive power. This has nothing to do with the purpose of the infractions process..."The purpose of the NCAA is to keep a level playing field among schools and to make sure they use proper methods through scholarships and etcetera," the chair said. "This is not a case that would normally go through the process. It has nothing to do with a level playing field. It has nothing to do with whether Penn State gets advantages over other schools in recruiting or in the number of coaches or things that we normally deal with."

The former chair said as an example the NCAA didn't get involved in the murder of Yeardley Love, a women's lacrosse player at Virginia, by her former boyfriend, a male lacrosse player at Virginia."
-A former NCAA Committee on Infractions chair and current Division I Appeals Committee member who wished to remain anonymous

If the university covered up the murder for over ten years to protect LaCrosse recruiting and the University's good name, then yes the NCAA should have been involved. Same with Baylor. There could be a molester/rapist/murderer etc. on any coaching staff. That does not reflect directly on the University only on the individual. The problem is the entire University including the fan base valued football so much, the saving dear old Linebacker U is more important than a children's safety. I say fan base based on the reaction to all of this by the fan base acting like people are just out to get PSU and poor old JoePa.

[justcynn]

NCAA is a voluntary orgnaization that has rules for its members. Just as is the conference - I am in the camp that Penn State doesn't just go along with this unless they already know it could be way worse - it seems like the action was swift - perhaps because it gets way worse for Penn State when criminal and civil trials begin? Let us not forget money is still the most important thing and perhaps by being preemptive to the trials and other scrutiny that could possibly come out - this was the cheapest way to make it go away

[alarson]

No, they did not overstep.

The primary mission of educational institutions is to educate. Any time an institution forsakes that mission for the sake of athletics, it is completely fair game for the governing body of intercollegiate athletics to say 'maybe its time you guys took a break'.

Now this does not mean that the NCAA should get involved in every criminal matter. Only in cases like this where the AD\University itself is actively a part of the problem. This is the part that people who are like 'now the NCAA will be involved in everything' need to get. No, the NCAA wont be involved in things unless the AD\University acts to cover things up or 'handle them internally'

So given what PSU did, no, in fact PSU got off relatively light.

[flycy]

SMU and PSU are/were very different situations, though. At SMU, the coaches, some players, some fans/boosters, and university were all involved in the sham. At Ped State, it was a few high ranking members. The death penalty punishes the players and the fans, and the players and the fans did nothing wrong.

I think a good punishment wouldve been to expel them from the Big 10 and not allow them to join another conference for 15-20 years. It would put a strain on finances and show all universities that stuff like that wont be tolerated.

Do you really believe this wasn't the dirty little secret most around the program knew. I know it was rumored to be the case when Sandusky suddenly "retired" in 98'. The first time the matter was handled "humanely" rather than going to the authorities and by authorities I don't mean campus cops.

[kberyldial]

"The former chair said as an example the NCAA didn't get involved in the murder of Yeardley Love, a women's lacrosse player at Virginia, by her former boyfriend, a male lacrosse player at Virginia."
-A former NCAA Committee on Infractions chair and current Division I Appeals Committee member who wished to remain anonymous

I'd want to remain anonymous too. Did the men's lacrosse coach at Virginia harbor George Huguely? Did the AD and the president agree that they should take direction on the matter from the lacrosse coach? Did the president say in an email that he agreed to do what the coach thought best but admitted in the same email that if George ever got caught and it was known we aided and abetted him that it wouldn't look good for the University. Get the hell out of here with this. The president (one of our own I might add) the AD, the coach, another coach, and a janitor, and another janitor, and his own kid and a VP all knew of a alleged rape of a BOY BY Mr. Gonna be livin the rest of his life takin it in the can in the can. They decided to talk to Mr. Rapist - admitting that might come back to bite em - rather than go to authorities. Then that didn't really happen I guess. But none of the aforementioned model freakin citizens thought much of it when Mr. BOY rapist still came to bowl game and events WITH BOYS!!!! ALL TO KEEP THE GOD DAMNED FOOTBALL TEAM IN THE BEST POSSIBLE LIGHT. That is lack of control. Burn it down!

[letsCYber]

nope.. I don't think there is any punishment in the world that would've been "too much". I'm just disappointed Penn State wrestling was not directly impacted.

[majorcyfan]

You do realize that the death penalty has been used at least twice since SMU right? Sure you can come back at me with old football is the only thing that matters routine. But, isn't that the whole problem - putting football on pedestal and worshiping it as the thing that matters above all else?

Please give us the info on your claim of additional schools getting the death penalty besides SMU. I don't know of any other schools, D-1 or below, that have gotten the death penalty.

I was in Dallas when the SMU scandal was headline news, and it was a real circus of charges following boosters getting the school in trouble the first time, followed by the death penalty.

[aauummm]

No, they did not overstep.

The primary mission of educational institutions is to educate. Any time an institution forsakes that mission for the sake of athletics, it is completely fair game for the governing body of intercollegiate athletics to say 'maybe its time you guys took a break'.

Now this does not mean that the NCAA should get involved in every criminal matter. Only in cases like this where the AD\University itself is actively a part of the problem. This is the part that people who are like 'now the NCAA will be involved in everything' need to get. No, the NCAA wont be involved in things unless the AD\University acts to cover things up or 'handle them internally'

So given what PSU did, no, in fact PSU got off relatively light.

100% agree. In reference to a question posed by someone above, PSU absolutely gained a competitive advantage by Paterno covering up the crimes. It kept the "Happy Valley", "JoePa", "Linebacker U", "winning", etc. mystique going which attracted talented athletes and hence a built-in recruiting advantage.

[JohnnyFive]

Count Stewart Mandel among the Penn State appologizers. Anybody that has a problem with what the NCAA did today is either connected to Penn State or insane.

Everyone is quick to write a sky-is-falling, what-will-the-football-program-do-now? articles instead of writing about the usefullness of what the NCAA did today. Abuse coverups won't happen as often (if ever) if they know the NCAA will bring the hammer down like this.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...?sct=cf_t11_a1