Report: Big Ten could expel Penn State; weighing proposal that would allow commissioner Jim Delany to fire coaches
The ripples of the Penn State child sex scandal continue to spread, and it appears little is being left off the table -- including the possible ouster of the Nittany Lions from of the Big Ten.
The Chronicle of Higher Education is reporting Big Ten leaders are weighing a series of proposals in an 18-page plan prompted by the current situation at Penn State. Among the ideas being thrown around, according to one "Big Ten leader," includes removing the university from the conference.
Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany is one of the most influential people in college sports.
Associated Press
Another proposal on the table, according to the Chronicle report, would give commissioner Jim Delany the unprecedented power to fine, suspend or terminate staffers -- such as a coach -- who "interfere with normal admissions, compliance, hiring, or disciplinary processes."
Penn State's scandal prompted the proposal, according to the Chronicle. Jerry Sandusky, a former defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions, has been convicted on 45 counts of child sex abuse and is awaiting sentencing.
Four top school officials -- president Graham Spanier, vice president Gary Schultz, athletic director Tim Curley and football coach Joe Paterno -- helped to conceal Sandusky's abuse, according to an independent report conducted by former FBI director Louis Freeh.
Although it's unclear what kind of punishment the football program could be facing, NCAA president Mark Emmert recently said he would not rule out the so-called "death penalty," which would force Penn State to drop the sport for a period of time.
The Big Ten does not have a "contingency scheduling plan" should the Nittany Lions be banned, a league official told The Chronicle.
Check out the full Chronicle report here.
Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.
Comments
DrTequila
Thu, Jul 26, 2012 : 7:46 p.m.
Somebody want to inform the comish that the Freeh report is not a legal finding as he stated. Dumb he should know better.
Mick52
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 2:35 p.m.
Sounds like a knee jerk reaction. While I totally agree this is a horrible incident, those left at PSU were not involved and what is the worth of punishing them? If you put the football program on the death penalty for a few years that can seriously impact all other sports because, PSU, like Michigan may generate enough football revenue to fund all other sports. It just seems wrong to penalize all of PSU because of the crimes of a few. Not convinced the commissioner should have so much power. I doubt any BIg 10 school will not act appropriately (especially now) and they do not need help. Maybe some more power in regard to violations. What people have to understand that if a extremely embarrassing/inappropriate incident occurs and more than one person knows about it, the info is going to come out. These guys as PSU who thought they could keep this quiet were incredibly stupid with so many victims and people who were aware of this.
Thomas Rollins
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 1:01 a.m.
NO! The Big Ten should be promoting the conference and not trying to police it. Let the schools manage themselves, and when they fail to meet procedures and rules let the NCAA fine them. Hurt them where it counts--their pocketbooks. I say no again because this hurts the kids who are in the program or it hurts kids that are in the process of being recruited. The kids on the team had nothing to do with this issue and its not fair to punish them. What does a girl on the softball team have to do with football? I understand that a lot of young men were voilated; however we have to move forward. The Big Ten needs to just focus on developing open lines of communication where issues such as this can be reported. What about Jim Tressel
81wolverine
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 12:59 a.m.
I'm not sure how this proposal originated, but it sounds like an unvarnished power grab by Jim Delaney possibly. Firing the coach should always remain the decision of the university board of regents/trustees or AD. Otherwise, you're stepping closer to a Big Brother scenario of college sports.
aarox
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 10:49 p.m.
Not clear from the article if this was Delaney's idea. My guess is he is not the lead dog on this. In any case, what is best for the B1G and UM is for him to tAke this ultra-serious. This is almost completely political at this point. Throw your reasoned responses out the window - they don't matter.
A2Dave
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 8:48 p.m.
Both ideas are patently absurd. Period.
Aaron
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 2:06 a.m.
Hilarious. So the narrative is that the PSU scandal was about entrenched, unchecked leadership like Spanier. And now Deleny wants to consolidate the same power in himself? A conference President, who has been in the job since 1989? Maybe it's time for Jim D to hang it up. Essentially they say, "I'm different, I can be trusted to manage the SPORTS of 12 schools (let alone 1) without becoming corrupted by glitz." The real lesson is about how common child sexual assault is in the US. PennState is not alone (US Olympics, Syracuse, OSU Serial Killer, Boston Red Sox, AAU Basketball, Scouts). This effort by Delany is simply more of the same. Cronies strengthening their power-base. It is not in anyway an attempt to help this from happening to kids at other institutions. The article contains the passage below; it mentions boosters & trustees influencing leaders' decisions. In PSU's case, it was leaders (Spanier) influencing (lying) to trustees "The plan calls for Big Ten universities to empower presidents and athletic directors and have policies to dissuade rogue boosters and trustees with inappropriate involvement in programs from trying to influence university leaders' decisions." It seems to me that this proposal acts exactly opposite of the lessons learned about concentrated power in athletic conference. As far as booting PSU from the conference, I think that Prison Time, Firings, Personal Disgrace, Financial Penalty, Structurally addressing the failure, channeling football profits to charities & their college of HUD should be the most to expect. I DO believe that every institution in the US can learn from PSU's mistakes. Just last week, it came out that UM failed to report a Med Center employee that was trafficking child porn. Should the US Swim team come home from London because more than 25 of their coaches were molesting youth swimmers? Should the Boston Red Sox sit out 2 years for covering up
johnnya2
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 8:18 p.m.
1. Jim Delany did not ask for this power, it was a proposal that has not been implemented or voted on even. 2. Kicking PSU out is also not up for a vote at this time. 3. The NCAA should grow a backbone and tell every kid who is on the PSU football team, that they are free to find another school without any penalty for 1 year from today's date 4. The NCAA should eliminate all scholarships for PSU for the period of 1 year. They will earn back scholarships based on performance metrics tied to having accountability. There would be no opportunity for bowl appearances for three years. 5. Any affiliation the university has with Joe Pa (statues, buildings, etc) would be immediately removed. This is the ultimate "lack of institutional control" that the NCAA has busted many programs with. This is far worse than RR and his extra hours of practice. This makes Jim Tressel look like a saint in the tattoo scandal. In fact, this makes the Cam Newton situation at Auburn seem like nothing. THIS to me is what the NCAA should spend time worrying about and not how many recruiting visits a kid takes so the school can own the "rights" to a kid for four years, even though they are not required to pay them the full four years.
Irvine CA
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 7:03 p.m.
This is like to have the General Secretary of UN to fire the President of United States. Big Ten can expel whatever school from the conference it wishes, but firing staff or student is none of its business.
a2citizen
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 8:16 p.m.
Give the UN time.
hail2thevict0r
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 6:48 p.m.
I wonder if it would even be legal to give a 3rd party organization power to fire essentially an employee at a public university. Seems to me that this is a can of worms that you don't want to open.
15crown00
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 5:28 p.m.
The Big 10 will do no such thing.PSU is about many $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$'s and they all understand that. As far as commissioner firing coaches.that is a terrible idea.
golfer
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 5:07 p.m.
no way should he. sorry but he did not hire them so he should not fire them? to much power!!
semperveritas
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 4:27 p.m.
jim delany's job is to PROMOTE the universities and their athletic interests. it certainly isn't to enforce ANYTHING that will drastically impact a member school. behind the scenes he may cajole or wheedle or beg----but he can't fire----nor should he. on the 'death penalty' issue. there will be NONE at psu. regardless of what mark emmert alludes to or what delany may hint at---------it isn't going to happen.
Wally the Wolverine
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 4:13 p.m.
Maybe the coaches should have the power to fire Delany?
michboy40
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 4:04 p.m.
Absurd idea. The firing of coaches should be left to the AD's. If a school acts so egregiously that they fail to fire a coach that deserves firing, I could see some type of penalty being levied, but firing ? No
ArthGuinness
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 3:26 p.m.
I guess I sort of see where it's coming from. When you have a whole hierarchy of people up to the president of a university basically covering some assistant coach's behind, one might feel that you need to give outsiders some power. But c'mon, if this became the norm, it would be punishing every school and team in the country because of one university's problem. Whoever is proposing this knee-jerk solution needs to get a grip.
umichjim
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 3:20 p.m.
Kicking PSU out of the Big Ten would really cause a scramble in College Hockey. PSU gave the Big Ten six teams with Men's Ice Hockey as a varsity sport and they then created there own league. This set off a mad scramble as other college hockey teams changed conferences left and right. No PSU, no Big Ten Hockey Conference and the five remaining schools will be scrambling to join leagues again. That should be fun to watch.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 3:18 p.m.
Does anyone reallly think this is a good idea? Delaney is, after all, a bureaucrat. Should one man be able to delve into the affairs of the conference teams and schools and toss out coaches at will? Nope, I don't think so. In any event, a person in Delaney's position might very likely refuse to act when action is called for. Would he have booted Joseph Paterno from his position at Penn State? I doubt it very much. Much more important than such powers for the commish is the power for anyone who knows anything about sexual (or other) abuse in a University to report it to the (non-university campus) police, and to be protected by a whistle-blower statute.
semperveritas
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 4:29 p.m.
i would have loved to watch delany twist in the wind if he'd had the ability (and the will) to fire joe paterno a season ago. he certainly wouldn't have been safe in unhappy valley.
heartbreakM
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 3:03 p.m.
Giving Mr. Delaney (the guy who came up with the ridiculous names of "legends" and "leaders") any more power than he has, especially the power to rule over coaches, is tantamount to disaster. In my opinion, he is not a guy I'd want running anything I am involved in, and his continuous power mongering is unbecoming. I would think it should be up to the presidents of the B10 universities to make that decision, and nobody else. Though the B10 is an athletic conference, it is really set up (at least according to the PR), to be a set of academically similar schools, all with high research stats, etc. If the Presidents feel that the leadership at PSU failed miserably enough to be excommunicated, I'd go along. But Jim Delaney? Yikes.
ted
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 2:53 a.m.
I know I will do as he tells me. He is my God.
ted
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 2:52 a.m.
Who gave me a negative vote ? Maybe you don't get it, but our dear leader is above us all. No man has ever come as close to a God as he. It is best for you and your fellow countrymen they you submit to his will and let him lead you or we will force you to. He knows what is best for you.
ted
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 5:27 p.m.
I agree,who does Delaney think he is ? Our Dear Leader, Obama ?
RudeJude
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 2:39 p.m.
I'd be shocked if Penn State is removed from the B1G. As college football is big business now and Penn State still means big money (perhaps this will change?), it'd be bad business to give them the boot. I'm betting on a one-year death penalty, scholarship losses, probation, with the demand that the statue be removed.
MRunner73
Thu, Jul 19, 2012 : 2:38 p.m.
Yes, the Big Ten could expel Penn State if they follow proceedures. No, the idea of firing coaches is absured. There will be legal issues. It also sets a precedent for any other conference commissioner to do the same. It also sets a precent for the MLB, NBA and NFL commish to do likewise. Delaney is dillusional when it come to firing coaches. Sounds like severe sanctions await Penn State, at any rate.
Matt Cooper
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 6:51 p.m.
The diff. is that pro sports teams are franchises of the league in which they play their respective sports. College sports, at least as I know it, are completely seperate enterprises and are not franchises and are not owned by the league or the NCAA. Therefore, the coaches and other staffers are not employed by the Big Ten, but rather by their respective universities. As MRunner said, this would set a very dangerous precedent for not only collegiate sports teams, but for all collegiate academic endevours as well, by giving the Big Ten commish. unilateral power to decide who coaches where and under what conditions. Do we really want one man to have that much power and control over collegiate sports?
JustfortheRecord
Fri, Jul 20, 2012 : 1:38 a.m.
NFL can suspend a coach... maybe that's good enough.