If you file a lawsuit — even to force the movement on negotiations — there is going to be more of a delay before anything is fully settled. All matters have to be resolved. Details have to be finalized. Everything must be in place.

The fact is, Pitt only filed that lawsuit in mid-May. Two months ago. I know it seems longer, but that it really isn’t. That put all negotiations on hold for a good month while the Big East got its legal response together. You can’t now complain that things are going too slowly compared to Syracuse reaching a settlement.

It isn’t like Pitt and the Big East haven’t been negotiating. It is just that it is now under a more formal structure.

Federal court documents indicate that Pitt and Big East officials have had discussions that could lead to a settlement, but no trial date has been set.

The fact that Pitt had filed a lawsuit probably spurred the Big East to resume active negotiations with Syracuse to avoid another lawsuit. Even then, it took until now to work out enough of a deal that they could announce a deal.

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The prime topic of media and fan conversation, now that the Freeh Report has become public, has shifted focus from what Joe Paterno knew and when he knew it to speculating about what other problems are in store for Penn State and its football program.  In essence that means the NCAA has the stage front spotlight now and speculation is rampant about what actions and sanctions, if any, will be levied against PSU.

Many people, including a lot of PITT fans, are thinking that Penn State will not play football this season.  Unless PSU self-sanctions its own football program my advice is this, don’t hold your breath for that to happen.

I believe the NCAA won’t do a thing formally until after the criminal trials of Schultz and Curley are completed and all the elements of the Freeh Report are seconded and sworn to in judicial proceedings.  The president of the NCAA, Mark Emmert was interviewed by Tavis Smiley of the Public Broadcasting Service, and he says some interesting things about the future of the NCAA’s investigation without, of course, clearly committing to anything.

However, he alludes to what I believe to be a way ahead for the NCAA whether he meant to or not.  Take a  listen from the 1:20 mark when Emmert states ‘it was a football scandal and more…we’ll have to figure out exactly what penalties there are.’  He said that last part without any qualification of “if any”  which I think is telling.  He does qualify his statements later on but this off the cuff answer opens eyes.

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