As Penn State has endured the levying of unprecedented NCAA sanctions, coach Bill O'Brien has consistently praised those players who have stayed at Penn State for their commitment.
To honor that, Penn State, for the first time, decided to add names to the back of their jerseys and places the above hashtag on the field at Beaver Stadium. The "#OneTeam" is a way for everyone to know that Penn State is sticking together despite the obstacles.
To that end, the board of trustees will meet this weekend to determine whether to ratify the consent decree Penn State President Rodney Erickson signed that agreed to the penalties handed down by the NCAA after the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Those penalties included a loss of scholarships, a four-year postseason ban and the vacating of 112 wins.
According to the Associated Press, board chairwoman Karen Peetz told other trustees in an email that there was confusion about how Penn State accepted the sanctions and whether it was the "best course" for the university.
Three parties — the Paterno family, two trustees and a group of eight former players — have challenged the decree stating that it should be invalid because Erickson did not consent with the entire board on whether to accept the sanctions. All three of those parties are asking for an appeal of the sanctions by the NCAA.
But Peetz is hoping Sunday's meeting will get everyone on the same page and stop some of the infighting within Penn State's ranks.
"We have heard from President [Rodney] Erickson and from our legal team," Peetz wrote in the email. "We have had an opportunity to speak our minds. I appreciate everyone's candor and your sincere and heartfelt comments. However, it is now time to put this matter to rest and to move on.
"We are leaders of this university. We need to lead."
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