Panel members said the event was to educate the audience about the NCAA and how it’s structured. But as the night progressed, the topic of Penn State and its recent punishment was brought to the forefront.
“There’s a lot of emotion here and that’s understandable,” said former NCAA President Cedric Dempsey.
Dempsey and his panel sat in the State College Theater and tried to bring some understanding of what the thought process was like from NCAA officials. The panel also consisted of individuals who are familiar with the university’s athletics program, so it was clear the topic would turn to recent headlines.
“I thought you guys got hit over the head with the hammer when you could (have) gotten hit over the head with the newspaper,” said former NCAA President Gene Corrigan said
Other panel members were hesitant to criticize or comment on the sanctions handed down by current NCAA President Mark Emmert, but they all agreed that Penn State must look ahead.
“Move on. Get it over with. Wasting time with bitterness never made anybody any money,” Corrigan said.
Before he was president of the NCAA, Corrigan served as athletic director at Notre Dame University. So he said he knows Penn State and he respects the institution and knows the university can bounce back.
“You’ve got a great school here,” Corrigan said.
WJAC-TV asked a few panel members for their thoughts on how the players and coaches are handling themselves this season. They agreed that they are doing a great job of just playing football and moving forward.