NCAA lifts Penn State bowl ban

Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) – The NCAA has removed the final two years of Penn State’s football postseason ban while restoring the program to a full allotment of scholarships beginning with the 2015-16 season.

In a statement released Monday, the NCAA executive committee said it witnessed significant progress made by Penn State to comply with the sanctions it imposed on the athletic department in July of 2012 for its role in the child molestation scandal involving former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

The reduction of penalties were also made upon recommendations from former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, who had monitoring Penn State’s compliance with the athletic integrity agreement it made with the NCAA.

“Penn State’s commitment to the integrity of its athletics department and its progress toward meeting the requirements of the Consent Decree are clear,” said Northern Arizona president Rita Hartung Cheng, who served as the chair of Monday’s executive committee meeting. “We thank Senator Mitchell for his meticulous and exhaustive work over the past two years. Mitchell’s efforts and the dedication of Penn State officials made today’s decisions possible.”

The Nittany Lions are now eligible to participate in both a bowl game as well as the Big Ten Championship Game this season. Penn State had previously been forbidden from postseason play in 2014 and 2015 as part of the penalties levied against the school by the NCAA.

Penn State still must vacate all its football wins between 1998 and 2011 and remains on probation through the 2016-17 academic year. The $60 million fine the university was handed by the NCAA also still remains in effect.

The football program currently has a 75-player scholarship limit, up from 65 after Mitchell positively graded the athletic department in his first annual report, and will now return to the maximum 85 scholarships beginning next season.

“I am very happy for coach (James) Franklin, the coaches and staff and most importantly, our outstanding football student-athletes, said Penn State director of athletics Sandy Barbour. “I am gratified for the student-athletes who have remained resilient, committed and dedicated to Penn State during the past three years. We will continue to work hard and strive for integrity and academic and athletic excellence every day and to provide our student-athletes with the best experience possible.”

Categorized in: NCAA Football