Why the NCAA won’t drop the Death Penalty on Penn State University

This morning, the world got a very grim and disturbing look inside of the world of Penn State football with the release of the Louis Freeh report. Months of investigation headed up by the former Director of the FBI, justified what many who have followed this story feared. Jerry Sandusky, guilty on 45 counts, was given the run of Penn State despite multiple red flags along the way while employees feared for their jobs while Joe Paterno remained as the head coach.

There are multiple calls this afternoon for the NCAA to levy the Death Penalty on Penn State. My thepigskinreport.com partner, Rob Kelley, is calling for the NCAA to chop the head off of the Penn State football program. I don’t think the NCAA will be so quick to cut off the Penn State football program.

The behavior of Jerry Sandusky which was covered up and swept aside for years is reprehensible. The details revealed in Mr. Freeh’s report are disgusting. I believe that Penn State President Graham Spanier and AD Tim Curley need their day in court. Freeh’s report illustrates a 14-year pattern of behavior which covered things up, even stating that janitors were afraid to speak up because they were scared for their jobs.

This is exactly why colleges and universities should not allow one man to become larger than the establishment itself. Joe Paterno became that icon at Penn State. Paterno is likely the last in a line of coaches which will be so tenured in his former job. The Freeh report is scathing towards Paterno, but the long-time head coach was not available to respond to the allegations after passing away after the start of 2012.

As much as I disagree with the NCAA, I can’t see any ruling coming for a Death Penalty sentence for Penn State in regards to their football program. This isn’t USC. This isn’t SMU. This isn’t the University of Miami. This isn’t a recruiting violation. This isn’t a pay-for-play situation. This isn’t a football related situation. Ironically, the NCAA will likely turn their head on a sexual assault case with minors but will be ready to jump on a coach willing to take his team out for pizza after a game.

These charges are criminal. Civil charges will now be coming forward after the release of the Freeh report, and financially, those charges will likely do more to disrupt Penn State than any sanction levied by the NCAA. Hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements with a decade of poor recruiting will hurt Penn State.

Graham Spanier, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz all deserve to go to trial and have the opportunity to spend time in jail. Freeh’s report this morning revealed a disgusting pattern of behavior.