College football roundup: Sandusky trial begins; new evidence of coverup
The Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse trial began Monday, just as Penn State was forced to respond to an NBC-TV report citing "major new evidence" uncovered by investigators implied a cover-up by former president Graham Spanier.
The report cited the discovery of email messages from 2001 exchanged between Spanier, Gary Schultz and Tim Curley, who are facing perjury charges. Spanier and Schultz allegedly said they were not involving legal authorities because it was the "humane" thing to do for Sandusky.
Penn State University released a statement but refused to comment on the discovery.
"In the course of former FBI Director Louis Freeh's independent investigation, e-mails were discovered and immediately turned over to the State Attorney General," Penn State spokesman David La Torre said in a statement.
"In deference to the legal process, the University cannot comment further on specifics of the ongoing legal case as it unfolds. We continue to work with the State Attorney General, the US Attorney and Judge Freeh in their investigations into this matter.
"We will continue to cooperate fully with all legal processes to determine what happened and ensure personal accountability."
--Auburn, Ala., police chief Tommy Dawson said Monday that two arrests were made for hindering prosecution as more than 50 officers continue to search the Montgomery area for accused gunman Desmonte Leonard.
Leonard is the prime suspect in a shooting at University Heights apartments in Auburn that killed three, including former Tigers football players Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips, and wounded three others.
Police arrested Gabriel Thomas, 41, on a charge of providing false information to investigators and 18-year-old Jeremy Thomas. The third fatality was not associated with the Auburn football team but was killed at the pool party, according to Dawson. Two of the victims who survived, including Auburn offensive lineman Erick Mack, were released from the hospital. John Robertson remains in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.
--Russell Reynolds Associates executive search firm was hired to find the next commissioner of the Big East conference, according to CBS Sports.
Acting Big East commissioner Joe Bailey was a former partner at the firm and is currently listed as managing director. The firm touts itself for having a "more creative approach in identifying potential candidates."
Bailey took over when John Marinatto resigned on May 7. Greg Williams, who is president at Cincinnati University, leads the existing Big East search committee.
--According to Bloomberg News, the Big East is still waiting for a $5 million buyout payment from TCU and filed a complaint Monday after a demand for prompt payment was refused.
TCU was scheduled to join the Big East but never joined the conference when it received an offer to enter the Big 12 conference as realignment dominoes placed Texas A&M and Missouri in the Southeastern Conference one year after Colorado (Pac-12) and Nebraska (Big Ten) exited the Big 12.
TCU agreed to the $5 million exit fee in October and in return the Big East agreed to waive the 27-month exit wait period.
The Big East has a pending suit against West Virginia, which sued for the right to join the Big 12.
