The NCAA brought down the hammer hard on Penn State University this morning, banning the school from postseason play for the next four seasons, fining them a stunning $60 million, and docking them multiple scholarships over the next four years. The penalties more or less ensure that no incoming freshman will ever see a bowl game or playoff game while at the school.
Where things get interesting though, is that any and all Nittany Lions football players have been given the option to transfer without having to sit out a year. With that in mind, several local schools might stand to benefit from this situation, including: Boston College, Connecticut and maybe even UMass.
Among the class of incoming freshman, Penn State has several local players on the roster, all of whom may be looking around for a new school now that the ability to compete for championships will be off the table during their tenure. Akeel Lynch (a former BC commit), Malik Golden, Jake Kiley, and Jordan Lucas (a Massachusetts native) are all from the area and could be interested in coming back to the New England area.
That list doesn't include upper classmen from the area either (like Connecticut native, Silas Redd), who would be eligible to transfer and play immediately.. Keep an eye on this situation if you're a local college football fan.