NCAA Announces They Will Restore Previously Vacated 112 Penn State Football Wins Making Joe Paterno Again the Winningest Coach in Major College Football History

MOVE OVER BOBBY BOWDEN, JOE PA IS BACK TO BEING THE WINNINGEST FOOTBALL COACH IN MAJOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL HISTORY …

Joe Paterno, the late head coach of the Penn St. Nittany Lions, is back to being the winningest coach in major college football history. The NCAA announced on Friday that they would restore 112 wins by the school’s football team that were wiped out in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child molestation sex scandal. The deal still must be approved by the NCAA board and the Penn State board, but that is probably pretty much of a done deal. This  would return Joe Paterno’s record to 409-136-3. Wow, this is big. The NCAA just blinked. They are basically admitting they overstepped their authority in the sanctions following the Sandusky scandal.  By restoring the wins, Joe Paterno will move back to the top of college football’s all-time Division I, major college wins:

1. Joe Paterno (409)
2. Bobby Bowden (377)
3. Paul “Bear” Bryant (323)
4. Glenn Scobey Warner (319)

I wonder how long it will be before PSU brings back Joe Pa’s the statue?

The NCAA on Friday announced a proposed agreement that would restore 112 wins by the school’s football team that were wiped out during the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal and would put the late Joe Paterno back as the winningest coach in major college football history.

College sports’ governing body announced the proposed deal weeks before a scheduled trial in state court on the legality of the 2012 consent decree it would replace.

The new deal would direct a $60 million fine to address child abuse be spent within Pennsylvania and would resolve the lawsuit.

The deal still must be approved by the NCAA board and the Penn State board. Penn State trustees’ chairman Keith Masser told The Associated Press that board members were having a private discussion early Friday afternoon about the lawsuit.

The announcement follows the NCAA’s decision last year to reinstate the school’s full complement of football scholarships and let Penn State participate in post-season play, and comes just days after a federal judge declined to rule on the consent decree’s constitutionality. The proposed settlement does not discuss the validity of the original consent decree.

Watch live: Corman announcement on lawsuit over Penn State sanctions.

Today is a great victory for everyone who has fought for the truth in the Sandusky tragedy. The repeal of the consent decree and the return of the wins to the University and Joe Paterno confirm that the NCAA and the Board of Trustees acted prematurely and irresponsibly in the unprecedented sanctions the NCAA imposed on the University, the players, coaches and the community.

This case should always have been about the pursuit of the truth, not the unjust vilification of the culture of a great institution and the scapegoating of coaches, players and administrators who were never given a chance to defend themselves.

For nearly three years, everyone associated with Penn State has had to bear the mark of shame placed upon the institution by the NCAA. It was a grievously wrong action, precipitated by panic, rather than a thoughtful and careful examination of the facts.

Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman is holding a 1 p.m. news conference to make a major announcement in the ongoing litigation involving the NCAA and Penn State University concerning the validity of the 2012 Consent Decree that resulted in sanctions against Penn State.

Corman’s lawsuit has turned into a case testing the validity of the penalties contained in the consent decree that resulted in a $60 million fine, a bowl ban, scholarship reduction and the vacation of 112 victories earned by the football team between 1998 and 2011.

The pivot points for any new settlement of this case, which is currently scheduled for trial in Commonwealth Court next month, would be full restoration of the wins, final disposition of the fine proceeds, and some closure on the divisive issue of whether the NCAA properly intervened in the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

UPDATE I: Statement from The Paterno family:

Today is a great victory for everyone who has fought for the truth in the Sandusky tragedy. The repeal of the consent decree and the return of the wins to the University and Joe Paterno confirm that the NCAA and the Board of Trustees acted prematurely and irresponsibly in the unprecedented sanctions the NCAA imposed on the University, the players, coaches and the community.

This case should always have been about the pursuit of the truth, not the unjust vilification of the culture of a great institution and the scapegoating of coaches, players and administrators who were never given a chance to defend themselves.

For nearly three years, everyone associated with Penn State has had to bear the mark of shame placed upon the institution by the NCAA. It was a grievously wrong action, precipitated by panic, rather than a thoughtful and careful examination of the facts.

Fortunately, through the tenacious efforts of Senator Jake Corman and Treasurer Rob McCord, a large measure of the wrong has been righted.  This is a major victory in our continued pursuit of justice for Penn State. The victims deserve the truth as do those who have been smeared by the deeply flawed Freeh report, which served as the basis of the actions by the Board Trustees and Penn State.

Through our pending litigation, we intend to continue the job of uncovering the full truth in this case.

UPDATE II: Here’s the release from the NCAA:

NCAA reaches proposed settlement in Corman lawsuit
Agreement allows fine money to be distributed

January 16, 2015 12:58pm

Programs serving child sexual abuse survivors will now receive millions of dollars as part of the NCAA’s proposed settlement with Pennsylvania state officials. This lawsuit stemmed from the NCAA’s sanctions against Penn State University for its role in allowing serial child sexual abuse to occur on its campus.

The proposed settlement agreement with the NCAA, university and state officials, among other things, restores Penn State’s vacated wins from 1998 through 2011.

Subject to board approval from Penn State and the NCAA, the new agreement between the NCAA and Penn State, replacing the 2012 consent decree between the parties, provides the following:

Penn State agrees to commit a total of $60 million to activities and programs for the prevention of child sexual abuse and the treatment of victims of child sexual abuse.
Penn State acknowledges the NCAA’s legitimate and good faith interest and concern regarding the Jerry Sandusky matter.

Penn State and the NCAA will enter into a new Athletics Integrity Agreement that (with concurrence of the Big Ten) includes best practices with which the university is committed to comply and that provides for the university to continue to retain the services of Sen. George Mitchell and his firm to support the university’s activities under the Athletics Integrity Agreement and in the areas of compliance, ethics and integrity.
In July 2012, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and Executive Committee issued unprecedented sanctions for Penn State’s role in enabling child sexual abuse to occur on campus. In addition to the $60 million fine and vacation of wins, these penalties included a four-year postseason ban, scholarship reductions, five-year probation and a waiver of transfer rules. The NCAA Executive Committee restored postseason access and the full complement of scholarships in 2014, based on the recommendation from Athletics Integrity Monitor Sen. George Mitchell in response to the university’s progress.

“I am pleased to learn that financial resources to help child sexual abuse survivors will soon become available,” said Sen. George J. Mitchell. “I remain impressed with Penn State’s progress to date and look forward to its many reforms and improvements continuing to take root.”

“Continuing this litigation would further delay the distribution of funds to child sexual abuse survivors for years, undermining the very intent of the fine,” said Harris Pastides, University of South Carolina president and member of the NCAA Board of Governors. “While others will focus on the return of wins, our top priority is on protecting, educating and nurturing young people.”

The lawsuit originally asked the judge to restrict the distribution of the $60 million fine to child sexual abuse prevention organizations in Pennsylvania rather than national organizations. The NCAA repeatedly attempted to resolve the dispute regarding the fine, even agreeing to move the funds into a state endowment rather than distribute them nationally as originally intended. The judge denied this motion and expanded the lawsuit to include the NCAA’s authority to act in this matter, which the plaintiffs did not previously question. Penn State initiated the latest settlement discussions in mid-December.

“Today’s agreement with Penn State reaffirms our authority to act,” said Kirk Schulz, Kansas State University president and chair of the NCAA Board of Governors. “The NCAA has a legitimate role when a member’s actions threaten the integrity of college sports. We acted in good faith in addressing the failures and subsequent improvements on Penn State’s campus. We must acknowledge the continued progress of the university while also maintaining our commitment to supporting the survivors of child sexual abuse.”

The NCAA will aggressively defend the Paterno estate’s challenge to the validity of the now-replaced consent decree.