Joe Paterno's Vacated Wins Are Restored, Officially All-Time Winningest D-I Coach Again

USA TODAY – The NCAA and Pennsylvania officials announced a settlement Friday in the Penn State lawsuit, reaching an agreement that restores 112 football victories to Penn State and directs $60 million – the penalty the school paid in the Jerry Sandusky scandal – to programs serving child sexual abuse.

The settlement is in a case filed by two state officials against the NCAA and Penn State. The settlement replaces the consent decree between the NCAA and Penn State that was agreed to in 2012. It must be approved by all parties, though the NCAA said Friday its Board of Governors had approved the settlement.

The NCAA said that the agreement reinforced its authority to act, while the lead plaintiff said the entire settlement was about repealing the consent decree.

“It wasn’t really settlement talks – they agreed to repeal it,” said Jake Corman, a Pennsylvania state senator who filed the suit along with state treasurer Robert McCord. “The NCAA has surrendered.Today is a victory for due process, which was not afforded in this case.

“This is a total repeal of the consent decree … which should have never have happened in the first place.”

As part of the settlement, the two sides agree:

Penn State agrees to commit a total of $60 million to activities and programs for the prevention of child sexual abuse and the treatment of victims of child sexual abuse.

Penn State acknowledges the NCAA’s legitimate and good faith interest and concern regarding its handling of the Jerry Sandusky matter.

Penn State and the NCAA will enter into a new Athletics Integrity Agreement (with the concurrence of the Big Ten Conference) that includes best practices with which the university is committed to comply and that provides for the university to continue to retain the services of former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell and his firm to support the university’s activities under the Athletics Integrity Agreement and in the areas of compliance, ethics and integrity.

The NCAA restores 112 Penn State football victories dating to 1998, 111 of them under former coach Joe Paterno, who died in January 2012.

Paterno’s victory total again stands at 409, putting him ahead of former Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, who has 377 career wins.

Good for Penn State, I guess. Time to raise the statue? Eh, I don’t know if I’d go that far. This is certainly a great victory Happy Valley’s history and the brainwashed ballticklers that defended Joe Pa to the death. But the man still didn’t do all he could with the information he had regarding Sandusky’s heinous acts. He literally did the minimum required. Paterno had enough evidence and, more importantly, the power and prestige to blow everything sky high. He failed to act, plain and simple. I’m not saying he swept everything under the rug, but he certainly kept his distance from the situation until his hands were forced.

Now I’d like to see what kind of dirt comes out about Governor Tom Corbett regarding his Penn State liaisons. Those hands haven’t been soaking in ivory liquid.