MMQB and Open Thread: O'Bannon and the NCAA

As many Penn Staters may already be aware, the trial portion of NCAA vs O'Bannon hits the courts today. The mothership has got you covered with everything you could possibly want to know about the case--and more!--in the SBN storystream,

The big question here, of course, is how it pertains to Penn State. The specific issues brought up in this case aren't necessarily Nittany Lion specific--though the player-likeness issues will of course have ramifications for the football program and all other sports programs down the line. Where I see the biggest issue, though, is how this might impact any further reduction in the NCAA sanctions currently in place against the PSU football program. The NCAA, in my view, is notoriously arbitrary and fickle, and wants to maintain the status quo (and its skewed view of its own reputation) as much and as long as possible. If it loses this O'Bannon case, and loses badly, the organization may take out its frustrations in whatever way possible--and that just may include not reducing the sanctions further as it otherwise has covertly suggested were on the way.

What say you all? How do you think this court case plays out, and how might it impact Penn State--and the sanctions?

If there are any updates throughout the days and weeks of the case, post them here--we'll keep it as up to date as we can, but make sure you check the storystream for all relevant updates and analysis.