Corbett responds to NCAA motion

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HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Penn State's board never took a formal vote on a consent decree with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Gov. Tom Corbett says.

In a response to the NCAA's motion to dismiss his antitrust suit, Corbett said the NCAA's legal documents included what he called the "egregious error" of saying the board agreed to the decree, the State College News reported. The consent decree was signed by Penn State President Rodney Erickson accepted NCAA sanctions in July by signing the decree with NCAA President Mark Emmert.

The NCAA imposed a $60 million penalty after Jerry Sandusky, Penn State's longtime assistant football coach, was convicted of molesting boys he met through a charity he created for at-risk young people.

Much of what Corbett said in the response filed Monday echoes his original complaint.

"The roots of this litigation lie not in an NCAA rule violation, or any activity that jeopardized competitive fairness, but rather in the criminal conduct by Gerald Sandusky, a former assistant football coach," the response said.

The NCAA has filed its own lawsuit against the governor and state over a law Corbett signed that requires the $60 million to be used only for programs in Pennsylvania.