BlueWhiteIllustrated.com - Statement from BWI Publisher Phil Grosz

July 23, 2012

Phil Grosz
BlueWhiteIllustrated.com Publisher

The question I'm sure every Penn State fan wants answered is: How will today's NCAA sanctions affect the Nittany Lion football team for the upcoming football season and for future seasons?

Unfortunately, for Penn State football fans to get a definitive answer to this question, they'll have to wait a minimum of 10 days.

That is how long present Penn State team members have to decide if they want to transfer without losing a year of eligibility.

Obviously, the players on Penn State's scholarship roster who will be impacted the most by this type of decision will be the true freshmen, redshirt freshmen, sophomores and redshirt sophomores.

If all of those individuals would choose to transfer, by BWI's estimation that would leave about 40 scholarship players on Penn State's roster for the 2012 season.

Realistically, that gives me pause as to whether Penn State could put a competitive team on the field.

BWI presently lists 19 true freshmen, 10 redshirt freshmen, and 14 sophomores and redshirt sophomores on Penn State's 2012 scholarship roster.

That means if all the players with freshman and sophomore eligibility decide to transfer, Penn State would have just 36 players on its scholarship roster for the upcoming season.

Now the chances of that happening are remote at best, but it clearly illustrates the severe circumstances Bill O'Brien and his coaching staff are facing going into the 2012 season.

What is going to be the final result for Penn State's football program for this upcoming season?

Personally, I can't give you an educated guess until at least 10 days from now when Penn State's entire scholarship roster has to make a final decision about transferring.

I believe there is a legitimate question as to whether Penn State will field a competitive team this fall considering the fact Penn State was hoping to use a number of underclassmen to fill key roles on the offensive line and in the secondary where four starters had to be replaced from the 2011 season.

Unprecedented, really doesn't adequately describe the situation O'Brien and his staff face this fall and in the years ahead.

It is a situation personally I don't if I could handle in a positive light.

O'Brien and his staff definitely need the support of the Penn State fan base to move forward.

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