Via the CDT: Penn State president Rodney Erickson revealed that the university accepted the severe NCAA sanctions announced today to avoid the death penalty for the football program. In an interview with the Centre Daily Times, Erickson said, "We had our backs to the wall on this. We did what we thought was necessary to save the program." Joined by board of trustees chairwoman Karen Peetz and interim director of athletics David Joyner, Erickson said he signed the NCAA agreement because no better deal was available. He said Penn State could have faced at least one year without football and still would have endured additional penalties. The NCAA announced sanctions against Penn State related to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal and the findings of the Freeh report into the university's handling of that situation. The penalties include a four-year bowl ban, loss of scholarships for football, a $60 million fine and the vacating of all football victories since 1998.