NCAA lowers penalties on Penn State Football Scholarship

The NCAA charged the Penn State football program with large penalties after the details of a sexual abuse scandal were revealed in 2012. However, according to a news release from the NCAA, it will be “gradually restoring football scholarships” that were lost a year ago. The NCAA praised Penn State’s “continued progress toward ensuring athletics integrity,” and Mark Emmert said that restoring the scholarships “is an important recognition of the univerity’s progress.”

Penn State independent Athletics Integrity Monitor George Mitchell released a statement as well: “While there is more work to be done, Penn State has clearly demonstrated its commitment to restoring integrity in its athletics program. The university has substantially completed the initial implementation of all the Freeh Report recommendations and its obligations to the Athletics Integrity Agreement, so relief from the scholarship reductions is warranted and deserved.”