Watch CBS News

AP Source: PSU Trustees To Meet On NCAA Penalty

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (CBS) - The Penn State board of trustees will meet Wednesday afternoon to discuss whether President Rodney Erickson had the authority to agree to unprecedented NCAA sanctions against the football program without first getting the board's approval, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting.

The trustees will meet with Erickson in State College, said the person, who was not authorized to talk about the meeting and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Some trustees have expressed concern that Erickson violated a board rule that says the board must authorize the signing of
"contracts, legal documents, and other obligations."

Penn State spokesman David La Torre said Erickson had authority to act without the approval of the full board.

Erickson has said he had no choice but to accept the NCAA sanctions because the governing body could have shut down the football program altogether.

The NCAA imposed a $60 million fine, a four-year bowl ban, a loss of scholarships and other sanctions in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. Many alumni and Penn State fans are incensed over the NCAA penalty and Penn State's acceptance of it.

The Express-Times of Easton was first to report the upcoming board meeting.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.