Penn State Sanctions: Why NCAA Had No Choice but to Step in

As we continue to try and close the door on this sickening chapter in college football, the NCAA has decided to hand down some harsh penalties on the Penn State program. The sanctions include a $60 million fine, over 100 victories vacated, a four-year postseason ban, loss of scholarships, five years' probation and allowing any Penn State athlete to transfer to another school without any consensuses.

Having to face such tough sanctions, there will be many that argue that the NCAA had no right in getting in the middle of this. After all, Penn State did not break any NCAA rules. This was not a football issue, is what we have heard over the last several months.

Despite the fact that many of these actions took place on the Penn State campus and many of the people that ignored what was going on were members of the football staff, those comments may be right. But when it is something this severe, this sickening, the NCAA almost had no choice into doing something to show that these actions would not be tolerated.

"

We cannot look to NCAA history to determine how to handle circumstances so disturbing, shocking and disappointing. NCAA president Mark Emmert said in the statement. As the individuals charged with governing college sports, we have a responsibility to act. These events should serve as a call to every single school and athletics department to take an honest look at its campus environment and eradicate the 'sports are king' mindset that can so dramatically cloud the judgment of educators. (Via ESPN)

"

Sure, the judicial system is going to play itself out and hopefully take care of the people that did not do enough. Sandusky has already been found guilty and is almost certain to spend the rest of his life in prison. Tim Curley and Gary Schultz will get their day in court and are also facing lengthy sentences in a perjury case. 

But is that really enough?

We are talking about at least 10 boys that were molested over the course of 15 years. Not only that, but several people on the Penn State staff knew about it and chose to look the other way rather than help those innocent children. Are a few years in prison really enough? It seems like something else needed to be done, almost overkill to try and make sure that something like this will never happen again on a NCAA campus.

If other schools are punished for selling jerseys or players receiving extra money to fill up their gas tanks, the NCAA certainly had to do something when a member of the Penn State coaching staff was molesting young boys in the showers. Forget about the NCAA rulebook for a second and just focus on the crime itself and how horrific it is.

It may not be fair to the Penn State program as a whole, but there wasn't much fairness going on during those 15 years when those boys were being abused.