The Penn State Board of Trustees will hold a conference call at 5 p.m. on Sunday to discuss the binding consent decree levied against the university by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Emails were sent to the board members and some student leaders inviting them to partake in the call this morning.
University Park Undergraduate Association President Courtney Lennartz said she will be on the conference call to support the student body.
She said that the sanctions imposed by the NCAA punished the wrong people and many students are unhappy and feel that the sanctions are out of hand.
The email sent to the board members and student leaders did not indicate whether a vote would be taken or not, Trustee and Penn State student, Peter Khoury said.
He said the topic of conversation will be the consent decree and possibly acceptance or non-acceptance of the consent decree.
During a press conference on July 23, NCAA President Mark Emmert announced that Penn State President Rodney Erickson had accepted the sanctions imposed by the NCAA.
The penalties included a $60 million fine used to support programs against child sexual abuse, a four-year bowl and postseason ban, reduction of scholarships from 25 to 15 and vacating all wins from 1998 to 2011.
The sanctions came as a result of the release of Former FBI Director Louis Freeh's investigative report. The Penn State Board of Trustees hired Freeh's investigators in November to investigate the university's polices and handling of reports that former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was abusing boys.
Freeh’s report found that university officials had failed to appropriately report incidents of child sexual abuse involving Sandusky.
Sandusky was convicted of 45 of 48 counts of child sex abuse on June 22.
The board held a meeting on July 25, to discuss Erickson's acceptance of the sanctions placed on the university.
After the meeting, the board released a statement that ultimately supported Erickson’s decision to accept the sanctions.
According to the statement, the board resolved “to move forward together to recognize the historical excellence in Penn State's academic and athletic programs.”
No vote was taken during the meeting.
The board as a whole accepted the sanctions, however, trustee, Ryan McCombie wrote a letter to the board detailing his discrepancies with the decision to move forward and accept the sanctions, according to the statement.
According to the letter — a copy of which was obtained by The Daily Collegian on August 6 — McCombie said that in addition to filing an appeal with the NCAA, he and other board members plan to look into Erickson’s role in the matter.
Penn State spokesman David La Torre said July 25, that Erickson had authority to act without the approval of the full board.
According to Standing Order IX, the President is entrusted by the board to make decisions, pending the board's approval.
Through the same attorney as McCombie, Paul Kelly, some former players are appealing the NCAA sanctions, as well.
Kelly said it is not a coincidence that he is representing both parties, and the board members and former players have been communicating with one another with regard to appealing the sanctions.
Former Penn State linebacker Gerald Cadogan said, on August 8, the goal of the appeal is to achieve due process.
As previously reported, he and various former Penn State players were handed down punishment for something that they had no part in, he said.
"If we were guilty, we would gladly accept the punishment," Cadogan said yesterday. "However, none of us were involved in anything."
Kelly represents the following players: Michael Robinson, Anwar Phillips, Josh Gaines, Shamar Finney, Richard Gardner, Gerald Cadogan, Anthony Adams, Justin Kurpeikis and William Kenny.
NCAA Vice President of Communications Bob Williams said last week that Penn State's sanctions are not subject to appeal when the family of the late former head coach Joe Paterno announced it planned to file an appeal.
Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers said members of the public can call in and listen to the conference call on a first come, first serve basis. If you are not one of the first 50 callers, she said you can listen to the conference call online at WPSU.org/live, where the call will be streaming live.
