--- description: The NCAA is in talks with Penn State and state officials that could include restoring coach Joe Paterno's vacated wins, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. The... title: Report: NCAA in Talks That Could Restore Joe Paterno's Vacated Wins image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1cc1efdd33b7b194/6987798de20a876f7fa8479c/131090233.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Sports](/section/sports/) ## Sports Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Football](/tag/football/) ## Football Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Report: NCAA in Talks That Could Restore Joe Paterno's Vacated Wins by [Molly Geary / Sports Illustrated](/author/sports-illustrated/) ## Molly Geary / Sports Illustrated Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 13, 2015 4:43 AM CUT  Joe Paterno receives a plaque celebrating his 409th career win at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., on Oct. 29, 2011 Joe Paterno receives a plaque celebrating his 409th career win at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., on Oct. 29, 2011Justin K. Aller—Getty Images by [Molly Geary / Sports Illustrated](/author/sports-illustrated/) ## Molly Geary / Sports Illustrated Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 13, 2015 4:43 AM CUT The NCAA is in talks with [Penn State](http://www.si.com/college-football/team/penn-state-nittany-lions "undefined") and state officials that could include restoring coach Joe Paterno’s vacated wins, [reports](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20150113%5FNCAA%5Fsaid%5Fto%5Freconsider%5Fsanctions%5Fagainst%5FPaterno%5F%5FPenn%5FState.html "undefined") the _Philadelphia Inquirer_. The talks are also considering a proposal that “would leave the $60 million fine levied by the league within the state and the university, to be used for child protection,” according to the _Inquirer_. The school was forced to vacate 112 victories from 1998-2011, all but one of which came under Paterno, as part of the NCAA’s sanctions following the release of the Freeh Report in 2012\. The sanctions penalized the school for the Jerry Sandusky scandal, in which the longtime Penn State assistant football coach was convicted on 45 counts of sex abuse earlier that year.​ The punishment dropped Paterno’s career win total from 409 — the most in Division I college football history — to 298\. Paterno died in January 2012 at the age of 85. The NCAA also gave Penn State a four-year postseason ban, restricted the team to 65 scholarships per year through 2017 and fined the team $60 million, among other sanctions. In early September, the [NCAA Executive Committee restored](http://www.si.com/college-football/2014/09/08/penn-state-postseason-eligibility-scholarships-restored "undefined") Penn State’s postseason eligibility and its full allotment of scholarships. Last month, a judge [delayed the trial](http://www.si.com/college-football/2014/12/18/ap-fbc-penn-state-abuse "undefined") on the legality of the NCAA’s consent decree that punished the university to Feb. 17. Sandusky is currently serving a 30- to 60-year prison sentence after he was convicted in 2012. [_This article originally appeared on SI.com_](http://www.si.com/college-football/2015/01/12/penn-state-joe-paterno-vacated-wins-ncaa-talks "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3665085/report-ncaa-in-talks-that-could-restore-joe-paternos-vacated-wins/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3665085/report-ncaa-in-talks-that-could-restore-joe-paternos-vacated-wins/"},"headline":"Report: NCAA in Talks That Could Restore Joe Paterno's Vacated Wins","datePublished":"2015-01-13T04:43:42.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T03:31:08.845Z","description":"The NCAA is in talks with Penn State and state officials that could include restoring coach Joe Paterno's vacated wins, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. 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