<p>This thread is intended for opinions about the fate of the football program. No comments about the Grand Jury report, alleged cover-up or Sandusky himself, please.</p>
<p>Los Angeles Times sportswriter Bill Dwyre suggested that the NCAA should penalize the PSU football program for 'lack of institutional control.' I think he has a point, the argument being that athletic staff and university officials' conduct allowed bad acts to occur unabated [allegedly] and taking no steps to prevent said bad acts that occurred on their campus or in venues and events associated with the football program.</p>
<p>Also, the Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference announced that Joe Paterno's name will not be on the inaugural conference championship trophy after all. That's a good idea, in my opinion. If Paterno's role in this mess is eventually "cleared," they can always name the trophy after him later.</p>
<p>The NCAA polices fairness in recruiting and compensating student-athletes. What NCAA regulations would have any connection to the sexual abuse scandal? NCAA institutional control relates to controlling compliance with recruiting rules and athlete benefits.</p>
<p>NCAA has a catch-all type phrase potentially governing such matters.</p>
<p>2.4 THe PrInCIPLe oF sPorTsMAnsHIP AnD eTHICAL ConDuCT [li]<br>[/li]For intercollegiate athletics to promote the character development of participants, to enhance the integrity of higher education and to promote civility in society, student-athletes, coaches, and all others associated with these athletics programs and events should adhere to such fundamental values as respect, fairness, civility, honesty and responsibility. These values should be manifest not only in athletics participation, but also in the broad spectrum of activities affecting the athletics program. It is the responsibility of each institution to: (Revised: 1/9/96)<br>
(a) Establish policies for sportsmanship and ethical conduct in intercollegiate athletics consistent with the educa-tional mission and goals of the institution; and (Adopted: 1/9/96)<br>
(b) Educate, on a continuing basis, all constituencies about the policies in Constitution 2.4-(a). (Adopted: 1/9/96) </p>
<p>There probably are other sections that might be applied. </p>
<p>Then PSU should be banned from participation in any sport for 5 years. Then again 2.4 (a) states that the university is responsible for establishing the ethical conduct policy. With their train of thought and apparent mentality anything brought up in this case is probably covered in their policy. How about the NCAA establishing that policy.</p>
<p>Here are a few passages I believe may apply: </p>
<p>2.2.3 Health and Safety. [li] It is the responsibility of each member institution to protect the health of and[/li]provide a safe environment for each of its participating student-athletes. (Adopted: 1/10/95)</p>
<p>2.2.5 Fairness, Openness and Honesty. [li] It is the responsibility of each member institution to ensure[/li]that coaches and administrators exhibit fairness, openness and honesty in their relationships with student-athletes.
(Adopted: 1/10/95)</p>
<p>10.01 GENER AL PRINCIPLE
10.01.1 Honesty and Sportsmanship. Individuals employed by (or associated with) a member institution
to administer, conduct or coach intercollegiate athletics and all participating student-athletes shall act with
honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that intercollegiate athletics as a whole, their institutions and they, as
individuals, shall represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated
with wholesome competitive sports.
19.01.2 E xemplary Conduct. Individuals employed by or associated with member institutions for the administration,
the conduct or the coaching of intercollegiate athletics are, in the final analysis, teachers of young
people. Their responsibility is an affirmative one, and they must do more than avoid improper conduct or questionable
acts. Their own moral values must be so certain and positive that those younger and more pliable will be
influenced by a fine example. Much more is expected of them than of the less critically placed citizen.</p>
<p>11.1 CON DUCT OF ATHLETICS PERSONNE L
11.1.1 S tandards of Honesty and Sportsmanship. Individuals employed by or associated with a member
institution to administer, conduct or coach intercollegiate athletics shall act with honesty and sportsmanship at
all times so that intercollegiate athletics as a whole, their institutions and they, as individuals, represent the honor
and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports.
(See Bylaw 10 for more specific ethical-conduct standards.)</p>
<p>Sorry Guys, I’m just not seeing it. The women’s golf team should be disbanded because a few old white guys decided to do the “quick shuffle” to avoid embarrassing the University? Where’s the NCAA language that says “The ‘death penalty’ shall be administered to any university in which officials that act stupidly but without intent to benefit themselves or gain competitive advantage. Those who do act to benefit themselves or gain competitive advantage will be forced to watch ‘Mod Squad’ reruns for a period of ten years, concurrent with the university’s sports prohibition.”</p>
<p>Newhope, I don’t think that PSU should loose their charter, or what ever it is called. But I do think that NCAA should look into how the FB program is run, and possibly even consider a few new entries in their bylaws that address required actions of coaches/staff/players in the event that illegal activity is identified. And the safety of underage children on NCAA campuses.</p>
<p>Breaking the law has nothing to do with the NCAA. For one thing, the NCAA requires nowhere near the amount of proof as what the court of law does. Do you really want the NCAA being able to randomly hand out punishment?</p>
<p>The safety of underage children also does not fall under NCAA jurisdiction. Nor should it.</p>
<p>hops-
re: breaking the law-
19.01.2 E xemplary Conduct. Individuals employed by or associated with member institutions for the administration,
the conduct or the coaching of intercollegiate athletics are, in the final analysis, teachers of young
people. Their responsibility is an affirmative one, and they must do more than avoid improper conduct or questionable
acts. Their own moral values must be so certain and positive that those younger and more pliable will be
influenced by a fine example. Much more is expected of them than of the less critically placed citizen.</p>
<p>Regarding underage children:
2.2.3 Health and Safety.[li] It is the responsibility of each member institution to protect the health of and[/li]provide a safe environment for each of its participating student-athletes. (Adopted: 1/10/95)</p>
<p>to me, NCAA bylaws do give the NCAA jurisdiction over those that breakthe law, and do hold them responsible for safety of student athletes. So I will respectfully disagree with you.</p>
<p>Yes, breaking the law isn’t advisable (duh) but it is not forbidden by the NCAA. That is why most often when a student-athlete gets arrested, etc the SCHOOL punishes that individual.</p>
<p>And in number two, it specifically says “student-athlete.” You typed it. “Student-Athlete.” Children are not student-athletes in the eyes of the NCAA.</p>
<p>I’m REALLY hoping the NCAA won’t feel it necessary to say “The NCAA discourages criminal acts against minor children by its member institutions.”</p>
<p>I think it’s up to Penn State, under auspices of its Board, to fix this. By all means rid the University of anyone who had the opportunity to help … and chose not to. Schultz and the AD need to go, as does any part of the football staff that was around in 2002. It’s JMHO of course, but I believe the University needs to send a clear message … “Your inaction was unacceptable. You’re gone. If you ask for a letter of reference, it will say XXX was released as part of the University’s effort to purge the attitudes and behaviors that permitted Jerry Sandusky to prey on young boys for more than a decade.”</p>
<p>I just read that Spanier will remain on campus as a professor in the sociology department. I think that says a lot about what PSU is going to “do”.</p>
<p>But my point is that the NCAA bylaws state that a coaches “responsibility is an affirmative one, and they must do more than avoid improper conduct or questionable
acts. Their own moral values must be so certain and positive that those younger and more pliable will be
influenced by a fine example. Much more is expected of them than of the less critically placed citizen.”</p>
<p>That is a huge opening for investigation and sanctions by NCAA.</p>
<p>Folks, the NCAA is not a law enforcement agency. It doesn’t have a stake in whether PSU’s brand is damaged or whether its leadership is viewed as virtuous. It does have an interest in sportsmanship as it pertains to game day environment. It has a large stake in whether PSU has an unfair advantage over Ohio State or Purdue in recruiting practices or whether it is taken advantage of by competitors who break rules regarding student-athlete benefits. That’s it. That’s what the NCAA is there for.</p>
<p>Now what the PA Governor’s Office and Legislature think of Penn State’s internal practices is another matter.</p>
<p>I hear what you are saying gadad. But my guess is that NCAA put in their bylaws that coaches “own moral values must be so certain and positive that those younger and more pliable will be influenced by a fine example. Much more is expected of them than of the less critically placed citizen” </p>
<p>it may have been to give them an open door for a situation like this. I could be wrong, only time will tell.</p>