Penn State: Death without death penalty.

NCAA just announced its sanctions against Penn State (for which Penn State agreed to), for covering up the pedophile, Jerry Sandusky.  Well it was no SMU-style death penalty, where the complete suspension of a season occurred.  With the length of time of these penalties though, a similar outcome is probable:

• $60M fine (equivalent of 1 year in football revenue), reserved for programs to assist victims of child molestation and towards prevention;
• 4 year post-season ban (starts 2012-2013 season);
• 4 year 10 scholarship/year reduction from the maximum 25, and a cap of 65 total scholarships each year (starts 2013-2014 season);
• All players are allowed to transfer and play immediately, and any player remaining at PSU but not playing, will be allowed to keep their scholarship;
• All wins vacated since 1998;
• 5 year probationary period.

If the metric to measure this against, starts with USC as the baseline, then this is about right.  After all, what happened at USC pales by comparison.

But more importantly, this hits the legacy of Joe Paterno hard, by eliminating all those wins he earned, going back to when Jerry Sandusky was coaching defenses at PSU.

Does it punish athletes unfairly?  Yes and no -- none of the current football players knew what was going on, nor could they have done anything to stop it.  They are however allowed to transfer and play immediately.  For those who do stay at Penn State, the free-agency rule hurts them most.

Few teams could survive what happened to USC, let alone thrive, but the PSU 4-year post-season ban means no one on this Fall's squad will play in a bowl, EVER.  As much as they'd like to believe in team unity, no one wants to live under a 4-year post-season ban.  Incoming freshmen will transfer, knowing they won't ever be able to play in a bowl game -- inherently a 5-year scholarship sanction.

No one thought USC could do what it has done -- namely challenge for a national championship in the middle of scholarship reductions and following a bowl ban -- but Penn State's down to 65 in 2013 - 2016.  At USC, 75 > 85, but USC's recruited well, and PSU hasn't.  No way can Penn State ever say 65 > 85.

The Penn State football program is as good as dead.