Going to be a long offseason.
True that.
I can understand why the NCAA backtracked on this after being sued by multiple parties. One of the big issues was the NCAA's
jurisdiction to impose penalties, given that the horrendous conduct did not involve recruiting, player benefits, vacating wins, or anything else contained in the realm over which the NCAA operates. It's simply not in their rule book. The plaintiffs found emails by NCAA officials acknowledging that:
In recent months, emails and other documents have been attached to court filings by the NCAA and the plaintiffs...
In one, an NCAA official described its pursuit of the penalties as "a bluff" and said asserting jurisdiction would be "a stretch."
So the parties entered into an new settlement that reverses those NCAA rules infringing type penalties (scholarship reductions, bowl bans, vacating wins, etc.) And focuses on helping the victims, in the form of a $60 million payment by Penn St. towards child abuse victims.
The NCAA announced the new settlement with the school weeks before a scheduled trial on the legality of the 2012 consent decree it will replace.
The new deal also directs a $60 million fine to address child abuse be spent within Pennsylvania and resolves that lawsuit.
(Pennsylvania officials also had filed suit claiming that payments by the state school would have to be paid in Pennsylvania under state law.)
The consent decree had also called for Penn State to provide $60 million to fight child abuse and combat its effects. The lawsuit scheduled for trial next month began as an effort by two state officials to enforce a state law that required the money to remain in Pennsylvania.
Ultimately the NCAA caved because the plaintiffs were probably right about the NCAA overreaching it's jurisdiction. The most important component to the NCAA apparently was the victim fund, and making sure that at least that aspect was addressed:
The NCAA said continuing the litigation would only delay the distribution of funds to sex abuse survivors.
"While others will focus on the return of wins, our top priority is on protecting, educating and nurturing young people," said Harris Pastides, University of South Carolina president and member of the NCAA board.
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