Penn State Football Hit with Severe Sanctions

The Penn State Football team has been hit by the NCAA with severe sanctions stemming from the Jerry Sandusky trial and reports that legendary coach Joe Paterno covered up the acts.

Among the sanctions, Penn State was hit with a $60 million fine, a four-year postseason ban in football, reduced scholarships (10 initial and 20 total) each year for a four-year period and wins dating back to 1998 to be vacated. Current football student-athletes are also allowed to transfer to another football program and be eligible immediately.

Vacating the wins from 1998-2011, coach Joe Paterno, who passed away earlier this year, goes from 409 wins all time to 298. This drops him from first to 12th on the list of winningest NCAA football coaches. That includes six bowl wins and two conference championships, both gone.

The sanctions were handed down Monday morning, just one day after the removal of the Joe Paterno statue at Penn State.

What will happen to the program now is unknown, but for the players currently there, they will be unable to win any kind of bowl game or BCS Championship during their time at Penn State, making transfers of students a huge possibility.

The results of the sanctions have already began to show as recruit Ross Douglas de-committed from Penn State. Current players are also being recruited as reports have shown the USC Trojans are interested in running back Silas Redd.
By: Brandon Williams Member of the Football Writers Association of America