What sanctions mean to Penn State

The NCAA has slammed Penn State with an unprecedented series of penalties, including a $60 million fine and the loss of all coach Joe Paterno's (shown) victories from 1998-2011.
The NCAA has slammed Penn State with an unprecedented series of penalties, including a $60 million fine and the loss of all coach Joe Paterno's (shown) victories from 1998-2011.

— SCHOLARSHIPS REDUCED FROM 25 TO 15 PER YEAR FOR NEXT 4 YEARS Starting with the 2013 recruiting class and running through 2016, Penn State can sign only 15 recruits a year. Most schools can sign 25.

65-MAN LIMIT, BEGINNING IN 2014, FOR 4 YEARS Starting with the 2014 season, only 65 players can be on scholarship until after the 2017 season. The usual scholarship limit for major-college teams is 85.

TRANSFER TICKETS PLAYERS CAN LEAVE WITHOUT SITTING OUT Players are released from their commitment to Penn State and immediately eligible to transfer without having to sit out a year. Additionally, football players who wish to continue their education without playing football may keep their scholarships as long as they meet academic requirements.

POSTSEASON BAN TO REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 2017 Penn State can’t play in a bowl game, the Big Ten Championship Game or the college football playoff for the national championship for the next four seasons.

A FINE LINE $60 MILLION TO BE PAID OUT OVER 5-YEAR PERIOD The NCAA imposed this because it is roughly equivalent to a year of gross revenue from the football program. It will be paid over a five-year period. The money will go to an endowment for “programs preventing child sexual abuse and/or assisting the victims of child sexual abuse.” The NCAA specified that Penn State cannot cut other sports programs or scholarships to pay this penalty.

$13 MILLION PER YEAR IN BOWL REVENUE LOST FOR 4 YEARS The Big Ten announced that Penn State’s cut of the conference’s shared bowl revenue - it estimates about $13 million a year over four years - will instead be donated to “established charitable organizations in Big Ten communities dedicated to the protection of children.”

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK 112 VICTORIES VACATED, 111 FOR PATERNO Every Penn State victory from 1998-2011 has been vacated. This means Joe Paterno, who died six months ago after being fired by the university, no longer has the record for most coaching victories in major college football. He loses 111 victories and the school loses 112 — the Nittany Lions beat Ohio State last season after Paterno was fired Nov. 9. Vacated victories are not the same as forfeits — they don’t count as losses or victories for either school. Paterno, with 298 victories, is now the fifth-winningest coach in NCAA Division I history.

Sports, Pages 15 on 07/24/2012

Upcoming Events