Blue White Illustrated

FO OT BA L L Emmert: NCAA hasn't discussed reducing bowl ban Following the NCAA's decision in September to relax the scholarship restrictions it imposed against Penn State in the wake of the Sandusky scandal, focus immediately shifted to the bowl ban. The ban extends through the 2015 season and was left intact, but the NCAA stated in announcing its modifications to the consent decree that further sanction relief would be considered if the university continues to receive positive reports from independent athletics monitor George Mitchell. There was speculation last fall that the ban could be lifted in time for Penn State to participate in the 2014 postseason if it were to win the necessary six games. That could still happen, but the Nittany Lions likely won't find out whether they are bowl-eligible until shortly before their season begins, if then. NCAA president Mark Emmert told CBSSports.com earlier this month that his organization has had no discussions about lifting the ban, and he added that any decision by the NCAA on whether to allow Penn State into the 2014 postseason would be predicated on Mitchell's next annual report. That report isn't slated to be released until August. "What the Executive Committee did this last go-round, they looked at the Mitchell report and made a decision [to restore lost scholarships] based on that, " Emmert said. "I know they're anxious to see the next report. There've been no discussions since that last meeting. " Emmert added that the members of the Executive Committee "were certainly impressed by the serious work the university has done. Penn State has re" ceived a series of glowing reports from Mitchell regarding its swift implementation of the 119 recommendations contained in the Freeh report. Emmert also was asked by CBSSports.com columnist Dennis Dodd about the appointment of James Franklin as Penn State's new head coach following the departure of Bill O'Brien. Emmert said he met Franklin at the BCS Championship Game, where the then-Vanderbilt coach was serving as a guest analyst for ESPN. "He seemed like a delightful guy. He had a great run of success at Vanderbilt, Emmert said. "I'm sure he'll " do well there. " Franklin said he discussed the bowl ban with Penn State officials during the interview process, but he did not speculate at his introductory news conference about whether the ban will be reduced. "We'll focus on the things that we can control," he said. "The things that we can't control – I'm going to leave those things up to the administration. I'm going to leave those things up to the politicians, and I'm just going to coach and love these kids in this program and help them develop into the young men that they want to be. That's our focus. Focus on the things we can control, work hard every day to develop the best studentathletes we can, develop the best football program we possibly can, and be a positive part of this community. I think I that's the thing that we look at." FO OT BA L L Ruling seen as victory for Paterno suit The news began to trickle out in the early afternoon of Jan. 7 with a tweet from Scott Paterno, Joe Paterno's youngest son. "Ladies and Gentlemen, " he wrote, "the Court just gave us Discovery in Paterno vs. NCAA. Here we go. " The lawsuit, which includes the Paterno family, PSU trustees, former players, coaches and professors as plaintiffs, aims to have a jury overturn the NCAA's sanctions, which were imposed on the university in July 2012. Senior Judge John Leete gave the lawsuit standing for discovery on claims of defamation, civil conspiracy and commercial disparagement. Shortly after Scott Paterno's tweet, his brother and former Penn State assistant coach Jay Paterno replied, "Game on." In a statement, the Paterno family called Leete's decision a "significant victory." Leete, however, dismissed the Paternos' claims of breach of contract and a claim of interference with contractual relations. He also dismissed a claim that the sanctions harmed the attempts by two former coaches (Jay Paterno and Bill Kenney) to find new jobs. Leete added that the claims can be refiled, and all plaintiffs are free to pursue civil conspiracy claims. "This is a case that deserves transparency and due process," Paterno lawyer Wick Sollers said. "It is a case that can never be resolved until the full truth is known. With this ruling, the bright light of legal discovery will finally shine on the facts and records of all parties involved." Leete's decision allows the plaintiffs and the NCAA to proceed with discovery. As Leete wrote, the "plaintiffs' allegations that [the] defendants and the Freeh firm recklessly disregarded [the] plaintiffs' procedural rights in imposing sanctions in a criminal matter unrelated to recruiting and athletic competition, accepted the flawed Freeh report knowing it was not the result of a reliable investigation, and falsely accused [the] plaintiffs of enabling and causing child sex abuse are sufficient to allege malice." In a later tweet, Jay Paterno wrote, "There are some things in life you will fight for to your last breath if need be. Penn State and the truth are worth fighting for." I

• Cover