Penn State’s postseason ban lifted
FOOTBALL: Penn State on Monday got out from under some of the severe sanctions imposed on it two years ago over the Jerry Sandusky child abuse scandal, learning the NCAA will allow it to complete in this year’s postseason and that all scholarships will return in 2015.
The surprise announcement, linked to progress the school has made reforming its athletics programs, moved the university a step farther away from the fallout from Sandusky, the former assistant coach convicted of sexual abuse of 10 boys, including acts inside university facilities.
The scandal badly tarnished what had been one of college sports’ most respected programs and led to charges of a criminal cover-up against former university administrators Graham Spanier, Gary Schultz and Tim Curley, whose cases are still pending.
Penn State had been halfway through a four-year postseason ban handed down during the summer of 2012. Some of the scholarships were restored earlier than expected a year ago.
The school still must pay a $60 million fine. One-hundred- eleven wins under former coach Joe Paterno plus one under Tom Bradley remain vacated and the school will remain under monitoring.
The decision by the NCAA’s Executive Committee followed a recommendation by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, whose second annual report as Penn State’s athletics integrity monitor concluded the university was in compliance with a 2012 agreement and consent decree.
Mitchell said the school had made progress toward implementing a new human resources system, “fostering an ethical culture” and improving security at its sports facilities. His oversight role, scheduled to continue to 2017, may end earlier as a result of the progress being been made, he said.
Penn State is 2-0 this season. If the Nittany Lions win the East division, they will be eligible to play in the Big Ten championship game.
• Haden punished: The Pac-12 Conference reprimanded and fined Southern California athletic director Pat Haden $25,000 for coming down to the field at Stanford Stadium and confronting game officials.
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement that Haden’s conduct during USC’s 13-10 victory at Stanford on Saturday was inappropriate.
The conference also reprimanded USC coach Steve Sarkisian, who said he had requested Haden’s presence on the sideline after a series of penalties left him irate at officials.
Haden is one of five active athletic directors on the playoff committee, which will decide the four teams that will compete for the national title at the end of the season. College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock said in a statement following the Pac-12’s discipline that Haden’s status on the committee has not changed.
N.J. governor clears sports betting
MISCELLANY: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie issued a directive allowing his state’s casinos and racetracks to offer sports betting without fear of criminal or civil liability.
The governor said he took his cue from previous federal court rulings that found that nothing in New Jersey law prohibits the casinos and horse racing tracks from offering sports betting.
His action is likely to be challenged in court by the professional and collegiate sports leagues that fought New Jersey’s efforts to overturn a ban on sports betting in all but four states. That effort ended with the U.S. Supreme Court declining to hear the case.
Christie, however, said casinos and tracks can start offering betting immediately.
• Hawks officials to meet: Civil rights leaders in Atlanta say they will ask for a meeting with Atlanta Hawks officials after the disclosure of a racially charged email written by the basketball team’s co-owner.
The Rev. Markel Hutchins said that he would ask for a meeting to discuss what he believes is a racist attitude permeating the organization.
The criticism came after Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson announced Sunday that he would sell his controlling interest in the team, in part because of an email he wrote two years ago, offering a theory that black fans were keeping away white fans.
• Blatter sticking around: FIFA president Sepp Blatter says he will confirm later this month that he will stand for a fifth, four-year term.
Blatter had pledged before his re-election in 2011 that his current term would be his last. But buoyed by a successful World Cup in Brazil and UEFA president Michel Platini opting not to stand in next year’s election, Blatter believes he has the backing of national associations.
• Contador pushes lead: Alberto Contador consolidated his overall race lead in the Spanish Vuelta by powering forward on the final ascent and winning the 16th stage.
Contador charged past Christopher Froome with less than a kilometer to go on the mountainous 99.7-mile ride from San Martin del Rey Aurelio to La Farrapona, timing 4 hours, 53 minutes, 36 seconds.
Froome finished second, 14 seconds behind.