Good evening XXXX,
Thank you for your email. I manage correspondence for the Board of Directors and have passed your remarks along. I wanted to share the below response from the Board which shows the chronology of events as I think it will help address your questions and concerns.
In addition to the information below, the Board will hold a special meeting via conference call this Sunday, August 12, at 5:00 p.m. EST. The sole purpose of the special meeting is to consider ratification of the binding consent decree imposed by the NCAA and accepted by the University.
This meeting will ensure there is no misunderstanding or further confusion as to where the Board stands on this matter. Those interested may call in to the following conference call number, which is available on a first-come, first-served basis with a limit of 50 people: 1-866-393-1766 . The following access code is required: *1855# (star, 1855, pound key).
As there are a limited number of lines available, a live audio stream of the meeting will also be accessible at WPSU.org/live. If you are unable to view the stream live, an audio file of the call and meeting minutes will be available on our website
http://www.psu.edu/ trustees as soon as possible.
Chronology of Events
Almost immediately after the release of the Freeh Report on July 12, President Erickson received a call from Mark Emmert, President of the NCAA. During that call President Erickson agreed that the University would respond promptly to a November 17, 2011 letter from the NCAA, the response to which the NCAA had previously agreed could wait until after the release of the Freeh Report.
Over the course of the next few days, however, work on the response to the November 17, 2011 letter was set aside, as the discussions between the NCAA and the University began to intensify.
On Tuesday, July 17, Mr. Emmert informed President Erickson by phone that a majority of the NCAA's leadership was in favor of imposing a four year "death penalty" on the University. Mr. Emmert also indicated that an alternative to the death penalty would be for the University to accept a set of punitive sanctions and corrective actions, including financial penalties, loss of scholarships, a post season ban, the vacation of wins and other sanctions.
The University's special counsel on this matter, Gene Marsh, a nationally recognized expert on NCAA enforcement matters, began intensive discussions with the NCAA on the proposed terms. By the end of the week, it had become clear that the University had two options: accept the consent decree or face even harsher sanctions the NCAA would impose, including the death penalty and other punitive measures. Although the University, through its counsel and directly by President Erickson, raised every mitigating factor, the University was given almost no latitude to negotiate with the NCAA with respect to the terms of the consent decree.
The NCAA also made crystal clear to President Erickson that if the terms of the consent decree were to be intentionally or inadvertently disclosed to the public, the consent decree option would be immediately taken off the table and that the University would be facing a death penalty and worse.
Although the acceptance of the consent decree was an administrative decision to make, President Erickson consulted with Board Chair Karen Peetz and with the Board's Executive Committee with respect to the possible consent decree on a number of occasions during that week, including on Sunday evening, July 22, when the Executive Committee was briefed on the terms.
The Executive Committee was consulted in order to minimize the risk of intentional or inadvertent public disclosures, which might have eliminated the University's preferred alternative. Although no formal vote was taken, or needed, the Executive Committee members expressed their support for President Erickson's decision to accept the consent decree.
All felt that the consent decree, while being extraordinarily punitive, was a better outcome than a multi-year death penalty, which would have had enormous negative consequences for our student-athletes, students, alumni, and the rest of the University community. Moreover, all shared the view that the financial impact of a death penalty on Centre County and the entire central Pennsylvania region would have been devastating.
There is no question that the sanctions imposed by the NCAA are harsh and that people who had no involvement in the Sandusky matter will be affected. However this consent decree is the best possible outcome. The $60 million fine will be used to fund an endowment that will be used for years to come to support programs that will help prevent child sexual abuse and support victims of abuse. Our student-athletes, including our football team, will still be able to compete and our alumni and the rest of our University community will be able to support them.
Even if you do not agree with the acceptance of the consent decree or other decisions made by the University's leadership, I hope you will continue to support our students by expressing your pride in their achievements, your belief in their future and supporting their activities ? athletic events, THON and all the other programs we do throughout the year.
Sincerely,
Paula Ammerman
Paula R. Ammerman
Director, Board of Trustees Office
The Pennsylvania State University
205 Old Main