Jake Corman Scores a Victory

A small one.  But a victory nonetheless.

According to Pennsylvania's Legal Journal, the NCAA has agreed to allow the sanction fine money to be kept in Pennsylvania.

A Pennsylvania lawmaker who recently filed for injunctive relief seeking to prevent the
National Collegiate Athletic Association from dispersing or otherwise dissipating any of the $12 million in fine money already paid by Penn State to the sports association arising out of the Jerry Sandusky sex-abuse scandal has announced that the NCAA has agreed to the terms of the litigation.

“Every dollar will continue to go to worthy and valuable child abuse prevention and education organizations, except this way, the connection between Pennsylvania resident funds and Pennsylvania benefits will be clear,” Corman, in a statement, said of the goals of his suit, which asked the court to enjoin the NCAA from using the fine money elsewhere.

The Tower of Sauron Emmert is not quite ready to collapse yet, but I think this is a positive sign of things to come.  If Corbett's anti-trust case survive the motion to dismiss (I'm not sure there has been one yet or if the NCAA has even responded to that suit yet) I think the pillars of sand that the NCAA has built it's castle on will start to sink and the house of cards will fall apart.

In addition to Corbett's anti-trust suit, two Pennsylvania Representatives have petitioned the NCAA to dismiss the ban on scholarships.

In the letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert, U.S. Reps. Charlie Dent and Glenn Thompson wrote that taking away up to 40 scholarships harmed players who had nothing to do with the scandal that engulfed the university in 2011.

"I want to make it clear to the NCAA who they are really hurting with this scholarship reduction. It's not Jerry Sandusky and it's not the university," Dent said in a statement. "They are hurting young people who are completely innocent of anything relating to the Sandusky situation and who through no fault of their own are being denied a chance to get a great education."

In announcing sanctions last July, Emmert drew the ire of some fans and alumni after the NCAA denounced the school for "perpetuating a 'football-first' culture that ultimately enabled serial child sexual abuse to occur."

Penn State historically has had high graduation rates for athletes. Dent cited in his letter NCAA data released last year showing the football team had a record graduation rate of 91 percent, which was tied with Rutgers for seventh best among major college programs. The major college average was 68 percent.

Dent said the statistics showed Penn State places education ahead of football.

"Thus, arbitrarily eliminating 40 scholarships to Penn State is undeniably and inexcusably punitive to young people" not involved with the scandal, he said.

This request sounds good, and I like the continued attack on multiple fronts, but let's face it.  The NCAA is not preventing PSU from offering 40 other "academic" scholarships . . . they are only denying football scholarships.  That said, though, I don't think punishing the players of today accomplishes anything.  The courts will handle Schultz, Curley, and Spanier.  Sandusky has already been dealt with, and the argument to continue beating a dead Joe by punishing the current team, coaches, administrators, professors and fans is really a flimsy one at best.

"Frodo" Corman defeats the evil NCAA . . . our precious stays in Pennsylvania, yes it does.