The Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse case impacted Penn State University too. Penn State was fined $60 million by the NCAA and was banned from bowl four years.

Penn State’s lack of action in the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal brought along intense scrutiny from officials. This Monday, the NCAA announced unprecedented penalties against Penn State. The institution was hit with a $60 million fine, four-year scholarship reduction to 15, five-year probation for all sports at Penn State and the removal of all football wins of the past 13 years.

“The Penn State case has provoked in all of us powerful emotions and shaken our confidence in many ways” said NCAA President Mark Emmert. “After much debate, we concluded the sanctions needed to reflect our mission of cultural change” reads Emmert’s press statement.

“The actions already taken by the new chair of the board and the new president, have demonstrated a strong desire and determination by Penn State and the university to right these severe wrongs” the NCAA president said.

Rodney Erickson, Penn State President, added that for the next five years the university will pay $12 million a year to fund programs that would help detect, prevent and treat child abuse. “It is important to know we are entering a new chapter at Penn State and making necessary changes” said the Penn State President.

Nonetheless, the penalties are unprecedented. One of NCAA’s decisions involves vacating all Penn State football wins for the past 13 years. This means Joe Paterno’s longtime title as the coach with most wins in college football history is cancelled. During his time with Penn State, Joe Paterno won as coach 409 games. The sanction impacts 111 wins from the total, leaving Paterno with 298 won games.

But it’s not the $60 million fine that damages Penn State to the full extent. It might well be cutting down on scholarship and banning it from bowl football four years. Present day coach Bill O’Brien said of the highly damaging NCAA decision:

“Today we received a very harsh penalty from the NCAA and as head coach of the Nittany Lions football program, I will do everything in my power to not only comply but help guide the university”.