We, the undersigned alumni, students, friends, fans, and supporters of The Pennsylvania State University (“the University”), hereby petition the Honorable Board of Trustees of the University to reject the sanctions imposed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”), for the following reasons and based on the statements made below: We abhor the criminal acts committed by Jerry Sandusky, former coach and employee of the University; and We extend our sympathies to those children victimized by Sandusky and commit to help them recover from whatever ill effects they have suffered as a result of those crimes; and We recognize that Mr. Sandusky was afforded due process, was represented by competent counsel, and was found guilty of certain crimes. We agree that this case is being dealt with in the appropriate forum, the Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas of Centre County, Pennsylvania, as well as any appellate courts; and We believe that the NCAA has exceeded its jurisdiction and authority by imposing sanctions on the University and has done so without following its own established guidelines and procedures; and We believe that if a full investigation were performed by the NCAA, as is its obligation under By-law section 32.3, it would be determined that the NCAA lacks jurisdiction over this case, and the sanctions imposed were unwarranted, excessive, and inappropriate; and We believe that it is wrong for the University to agree to sanctions imposed upon it without knowing the results of a full investigation; and We believe it is fundamentally unfair for the NCAA to force President Rodney Erickson into the impossible situation of agreeing to draconian sanctions or risking even greater financial harm to the University and the State College Community; and We believe it is disingenuous and hypocritical for the NCAA to sanction Penn State for “lack of institutional control”, by forcing President Erickson to agree to sanctions without giving him the opportunity to seek the advice and consent of the Board of Trustees. This action by the NCAA forced President Erickson to ignore established “institutional control” in deciding whether to accept penalties for, in the opinion of the NCAA, failing at that very thing; and We believe it is contrary to some of our Nation’s most important and valued principles (such as the Due Process guarantees of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution) to agree to penalties which would punish hundreds of thousands of innocent alumni, students, friends, and fans of the University; and We believe it is inconsistent with American law and values to deny due process to those who are alleged to have committed wrongdoing; and We believe that if a full investigation is conducted, in accordance with NCAA by-laws, the chances are greater that the guilty will be punished and the innocent exonerated; and We believe that it is contrary to our morals and beliefs to agree to sanctions against us when we are not culpable; and We believe that it is consistent with Penn State Pride that we stand up for what is right. Now therefore, we, the undersigned alumni, students, friends, fans, and supporters of the Pennsylvania State University hereby petition the Honorable Board of Trustees of the University to reject the sanctions imposed by the NCAA; to demand that the NCAA follow its own by-laws; to cooperate fully with the NCAA’s investigation; to aggressively defend the University and the individuals CAA follow its own by-laws; to cooperate fully with the NCAA’s investigation; to aggressively defend the University and the individuals who support it; and to ensure that the University be afforded Due Process of Law.who support it; and to ensure that the University be afforded Due Process of Law.