Pennsylvania governor to sue NCAA
The Penn State scandal has had its fair share of twists and turns, and now Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett said Tuesday he plans to sue the NCAA. The suit, which will come in federal court, will be over stiff sanctions imposed against the university following the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal.
The Republican governor scheduled a news conference for Wednesday on the Penn State campus in State College to announce the filing in U.S. District Court in Harrisburg, Penn.
According to The Associated Press, a person associated with the university and knowledgeable about the matter said it is an antitrust action.
The NCAA sanctions came in July and were agreed to by the university. They included a $60 million fine that would be used nationally to finance child abuse prevention grants, a four-year bowl game ban for the Penn State football program, reduced football scholarships and the forfeiture of 112 wins. What the sanctions didn’t include was a suspension of the football program, or the “death penalty.”
It appears the main issue with the sanctions is where that $60 million fine is spent. Both state and congressional lawmakers from Pennsylvania have stated their objection to using the Penn State fine to finance activities in other states, although the sanctions state the fine is to be used nationally. Penn State has already made the first $12 million payment, and an NCAA task force is deciding how it should be spent. The NCAA already said at least a quarter of the money would be spent in Pennsylvania.
State Senator Jake Corman said last week he plans to seek court action barring any of the first $12 million from being released to groups outside the state. His district includes Penn State’s main campus, so he’s had a front-row seat to the scandal and its fallout.
