Internal NCAA emails released yesterday as part of of Senator Jake Corman’s lawsuit reveal the NCAA knew it had no jurisdiction in handing down sanctions against Penn State during the Jerry Sandusky investigation because it was a criminal matter.
However, the governing body chose to act anyway because it thought Penn State would be in no position to fight the enforcement.
“We could try to assert jurisdiction on this issue and may be successful but it’d be a stretch,” wrote former NCAA Vice President of Enforcement Julie Roe in an email on July 14, 10 days before the sanctions were announced. “I characterized our approach to PSU as a bluff when talking to Mark [Emmert] yesterday afternoon after the call. He basically agreed b/c if we make this an enforcement issue, we may win the immediate battle but lose the war when the COI [Committee on Infractions] has to rule.”
Not only did the NCAA admit that it was bluffing Penn State when it extorted it into signing the consent decree — it admitted that, without Penn State complying out of embarrassment (or whatever reason Old Main gives these days), it didn’t have jurisdiction to act.
“I know we are banking on the fact the school is so embarrassed they will do anything, but I am not sure about that, and no confidence conference or other members will agree to that,” wrote NCAA Vice President of Academic and Membership Affairs Kevin Lennon on the same day. “This will force the jurisdictional issue that we really don’t have a great answer to that one…”
Obviously these emails do not paint the NCAA in a kind light, not that there hasn’t been a mound of controversy surrounding the NCAA’s handling of Penn State as it regards to Sandusky.
In the end, the NCAA gamble was correct as Penn State president Rodney Erickson and the Board of Trustees did accept the punishments levied against Penn State, which included a postseason ban, the loss of scholarships and the vacation of wins by new deceased coach Joe Paterno.
At the time these extreme punishments were handed down, there was great debate over whether the NCAA should be allowed to punish programs for egal matters and not matters that inherently dealt with NCAA rule violations.
Earlier this year, the NCAA the reversed some of the penalties and the school is now allowed to participate in the postseason and will have its scholarships reinstated.
Here’s a look at the documents, in their entirety, from Corman’s case.
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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday
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From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Internal NCAA emails reveal it 'bluffed' Penn State into accepting sanctions
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