A CNN report released on Friday evening indicated Penn State officials maintained suspicions regarding former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky dating back to 2001, but they were never reported to an outside agency.
"After giving it more thought and talking it over with Joe [Paterno] yesterday, I am uncomfortable with what we agreed were the next steps," an email from former university president Graham Spanier to Tim Curley and Gary Schultz read. "I am having trouble with going to everyone, but the person involved."
According to CBSSports.com columnist Dennis Dodd, Penn State "must pay" as a result.
Penn State must pay if for no other reason than this, the same key point Emmert has raised regarding misconduct since he took office 2½ years ago: When will risk outweigh reward? You may argue that a criminal and civil matter have nothing to do with the NCAA. You may argue the innocent would suffer with NCAA penalties. That's what I thought until now, when a satan sits in jail and lives lie in ruins.
Some things are more important than football, than whether a team can go to a bowl or not. Perhaps whether a team can play at all. Maybe the NCAA Manual does apply here. Maybe there's a lifetime lesson to be learned.
For continued coverage of the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial, be sure to follow this StoryStream and stay tuned to SB Nation Pittsburgh. For more, check out Black Shoe Diaries, SB Nation's Penn State blog.