Emmert says NCAA would have started investigation into Penn State without Freeh Report

GRAPEVINE, Texas -- NCAA president Mark Emmert said Monday, the association would have started a formal investigation into Penn State had not the Freeh Report been available.

The NCAA used the report as a basis for the penalties applied against Penn State. Emmert, speaking at the Division I Faculty Athletics Representatives annual meeting, said the investigation would have lasted a year and couldn't have started after other legal proceedings had been concluded, probably in the spring.

"We would have done an investigation," Emmert said.

He was asked directly if he would ever use the special authority given to him by the NCAA board again for such penalties he said, "the authority I used in the Penn State case I never plan to use again."

Emmert was asked specifically by former NCAA infractions committee chairman Jo Potuto if he was willing to say Penn State was a "one and done" case. He replied, "If you're asking me will there be a case like Penn State in next 10-15 years, I would certainly hope not."

Emmert said it would be possible to develop some sort of legislation to deal an "integrity breach" by a school but he didn't think it was likely.

Potuto is a constitutional law professor at Nebraska and a faculty athletics rep.