The NCAA gave Penn State just about every sanction it could think of, short of imposing the so-called death penalty and cancelling their football season. The sanctions include a $60 million fine, the loss of 20 scholarships per year over the next four years (i.e., down to 65 scholarships a year), a four-year bowl ban, five years' probation, and vacating every single win from 1998-2011. The Big Ten tacked on penalties of its own, including a four-year ban on the Big Ten Championship Game, as well as declaring Penn State ineligible to receive its share of the Big Ten bowl revenue for four years (approximately $13 million).
This means that, as shocking as it may sound, Al Groh has more wins over the past decade than the legendary Joe Paterno.
It also means that Penn State will stay on Virginia's schedule this coming September 8 in Charlottesville. On paper, at least.
The team that does arrive in Charlottesville on that date will be but a shadow of Penn State football that we all know. Call it Penn State Lite, or Penn State*. But with the NCAA declaring open season on the current PSU players by allowing them to transfer and compete immediately without sitting out a year, it's anyone's guess as to who remains a Nittany Lion and who will opt to transfer elsewhere.
In fact, reports state that the NCAA is considering allowing schools to offer scholarships to Penn State players without counting it against their 85-scholarship limit. And if that passes, query whether Penn State will even have 65 scholarship players to field a team come September.
What do you think about these sanctions? Too harsh, not harsh enough? Should UVA target any of Penn State's players and recruits? How does this affect Virginia's chances of a win on September 8?