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New Pennsylvania AG Will Not End NCAA Lawsuit

John Baer of the Philadelphia Daily News has a profile of incoming Pennsylvania attorney general Kathleen Kane. The profile touches on just more than the frosty relationship between Pennsylvania’s public institutions and the NCAA, but within is a bit of bad news for people hoping for a quick and unsuccessful end to the governor’s lawsuit against the NCAA.

Governor Tom Corbett is acting under an authorization from the attorney general’s office, who would normally pursue a lawsuit on behalf of the state and its citizens. That authorization can be rescinded by the attorney general’s office though. Kane is no friend of the governor. She will launch an investigation into Gov. Corbett’s handling of the Penn State investigation during his time as attorney general when she takes office, and has been tossed out as a possible opponent when Gov. Corbett faces reelection.

All that led to the possibility that Kane would take back the lawsuit against the NCAA from the governor’s office and either drop it or quickly settle the matter. But she dashed those hopes in Baer’s piece:

Speaking of Corbett, she read his NCAA lawsuit but won’t comment on it because “my personal opinion doesn’t matter” and the A.G. has no jurisdiction.

So one route to make the case short-lived appears to be shut down. The status quo of a governor challenging the NCAA’s handling of an issue while his own actions in the case are investigated will continue for at least a little while longer.


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