Penn State Sanctions: Monitoring Reaction from the Big Ten

The moment many have been waiting for has arrived today. After the horrible actions that took place for over 15 years at Penn State, the program has found out what the punishment will be.

NCAA president Mark Emmert made his announcement early this morning. According to him, the sanctions will include loss of scholarships, vacating victories, a four-year bowl ban and five years of probation. Also, players will be allowed to transfer from the university without suffering any consequences.

Shortly after the revelation of these penalties, the Big Ten Conference released a statement as well.

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Penn State University is a great institution and has been a valued member of the Big Ten Conference for more than 20 years. Since early November 2011, it has been working very hard to right a terrible wrong. There is more to be done. The intent of the sanctions imposed today is not to destroy a great university, but rather to seek justice and constructively assist a member institution with its efforts to reform. From this day forward, as Penn State continues to make amends, the Big Ten conference and its member institutions will continue to engage with them in every aspect of conference membership. (Via the statement by the Big Ten Council of Presidents

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The Big Ten also went on to say that because the Nittany Lions will be banned from bowl appearances for four years, their usual revenue will be donated to charitable organizations to help protect children.

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Because Penn State will be ineligible for bowl games for the next four years, it will therefore be ineligible to receive its share of Big Ten Conference bowl revenues over those same four years. That money, estimated to be approximately $13 million, will be donated to established charitable organizations in Big Ten communities dedicated to the protection of children.

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That also means that they will not be eligible for Big Ten Championship games, either. 

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As referenced in the NCAA release, Penn State's football team will be ineligible for postseason bowl games. It will also be ineligible for Big Ten Conference Championship Games for four years, a period of time that runs concurrently with the NCAA postseason bowl ban imposed this morning.

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With the Ohio State Buckeyes also banned from postseason play, that makes two teams in the Big Ten leaders division not eligible for the title game or a bowl game this season. (Rivals.com, Steve Jones)

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Big Ten commissioner says divisions won't be realigned even tho OSU, PSU are in same division & both ineligible for conf title game in '12

— Steve Jones (@SJonesRivals) July 23, 2012"

One of the more interesting aspects of the collective set of penalties is the fact that players will be eligible to transfer to any other school without suffering any consequences from the NCAA. Any active Penn State player can transfer right now (or anytime during their athletic eligibility) and not have to sit out a season. That includes transfers to another Big Ten school. (Via co-host of The Two Man Game, Mark Ennis)

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Jim Delany says the Big Ten will likely not enforce internal transfer rules for players leaving Penn State.

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"— Mark Ennis (@Mengus22) July 23, 2012"

Many wanted a death penalty for this university, Penn State may still be eligible to play football, but this is as close to the death penalty as you can get. It will be a long time before Penn State can come back from this crushing blow.