To a degree it’s the NCAA and PSU working together to ride the thing out. The NCAA gets to play “bad guy” by inflicting the penalty, allowing the players to freely transfer elsewhere, and make a record books-only punishment that effectively only affects an already dead coach whose reputation this scandal has demolished anyways. (Well, until it’s ressurrected in a few years.)

PSU gets to ride out a few years with a damaged program. But the new AD and new President are not dealing with further alumni kickback from a program penalty self-imposed as a way to clear the board and try to make a fresh start. Instead, they have a ready villian to point to while lying low for a few years before attempting to return to business as usual. Though I don’t think the same football cult will quire reestablish itself.