Joe Paterno Fired: 3 Lessons All Universities Can Learn from Penn State Tragedy

The four-day circus at Penn State ended the only way it could. Football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier were removed from their positions, effective immediately.

The actions by the school's Board of Trustees end Paterno's 46-year reign over the football program.

While the past year in college football has been marred by scandal, the horrific events in State College transcend sports. The mismanagement of the entire decade-long saga by the university's leaders shows just how easily we can all be fooled.

While we can only hope that nothing of this magnitude will ever happen again, there will undoubtedly be university scandals in the near and not-so-near future. Anyone with a leadership position at a college or university can learn valuable lessons from this tragedy.

1. Money Can Compromise Morality

The alleged cover-up was done with the interests of the football program in mind. There is no denying major college football has become a cash cow, and Penn State is as major a program as there is.

The reliance of the university on revenue from the football program to fund both athletic and non-athletic projects led to irrational thought processes by its leadership.

Jerry Sandusky aside, these individuals aren't hardened criminals. They're regular people who made terrible decisions, and will now suffer serious consequences as a result.

Their actions prove just how dangerous money can be.

2.  No Stone Goes Unturned

In the age of blogs, Twitter and constant media coverage of college athletics, a cover-up has become nothing more than a delay in the truth.

In this situation, the delay caused many additional victims to suffer the wrath of a dangerous individual.

While attempting to sweep most college athletics scandals under a rug will not place anyone in physical danger, it's still a solution that is not only wrong, but ineffective. SMU tried 25 years ago, when the word "Internet" was still foreign to most.

They couldn't do it then, and it can't be done now.

3. Mistakes are Forgiven, Lying is not

We all make mistakes. While only a very select few will make mistakes to the level of Sandusky, errors in judgment will continue to occur both in life and in college athletics. Our society is willing to give second chances to those who are contrite. 

Forgiveness is conditional, however, on immediately atoning for a mistake. This situation could have been addressed a decade ago, with Sandusky in prison and the Penn State maintaining a highly respected football program.

Now, Penn State is left with a dark cloud over its head that isn't going away for a long time.

Those in leadership positions at a university should be horrified tonight—not just at the events at Penn State, but at the possibility of a similar situation occurring at their institution. 

Is there a way for those in power to rationalize wrong decisions? If so, now is the time to reassess the true mission of what a university should be.