The NCAA filed a lawsuit today against Gov. Tom Corbett and other top Pennsylvania officials due to Corbett's legislation to alter the consent decree signed by Penn State, according to court documents.
Sen. Jake Corman first introduced the bill to keep the $60 million fine from the National Collegiate Athletic Association's consent decree in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which Corbett signed today.
The lawsuit explains that the Pennsylvania bill to keep the $60 million fine within the Commonwealth was an unconstitutional attempt to "disrupt interstate commerce" by determining how private parties spend their money. The court documents also explain that Corbett's lawsuit was used to "confiscate funds intended for victims of child sexual abuse nationwide to be used solely for the benefit of Pennsylvania residents, at the direction of Pennsylvania officials."
The lawsuit includes three counts against the Pennsylvania officials for the recent legislation to "seize and control" the fine agreed to be paid to the NCAA and references several areas of the United States Constitution which defend their claim including Article I, Section 10, Article I Section 8, and the Fifth Amendment.
The lawsuit also notes that Penn State has been part of the NCAA since 1908 and that all members of the collegiate organization "accept and observe the principles set forth in the constitution and bylaws of the Association."
Along with Corbett, the NCAA filed the lawsuit against Rob McCord, treasurer of Pennsylvania, Mark Zimmer, chairman of the Pennsylvania commission on crime and delinquency, and Eugene DePasquale, auditor general of Pennsylvania.
Read Thursday's edition of The Daily Collegian for more details.
