SELINSGROVE -- Members of the Susquehanna University football team learned the program broke the rules and faces sanctions.
Players and parents showed up for the first day of fall football camp at Susquehanna University Saturday, but they quickly learned this season was not going to go as expected.
A nearly year-long investigation revealed that last August, a prominent alumnus paid for part of a Susquehanna University football player's tuition. According to school officials, the "star player" had an overdue tuition payment paid for by Nick Lopardo.
Until recently, Lopardo's name was on the football stadium, but now because of those sanctions, it's gone.
Lopardo will also be permanently disassociated with the school's athletic program. A trustee aware of Lopardo's actions has also resigned.
On top of that, self-imposed sanctions include that all five of the football team's 2015 wins will be vacated.
This year's team will be banned from postseason play and placed on probation for two years. The player will serve a three-game suspension and participate in community service before being able to be reinstated.
For fans in the area, the self-imposed sanctions are tough, especially for this year's players.
"I think it's sad. They shouldn't be punishing the kids. It's not their fault," Liz Marks of Selinsgrove said.
Ben Reichley of Selinsgrove is a local football fan and heard through the grapevine that these self-imposed sanctions were coming.
"Susquehanna football will move on. Susquehanna University will move on. Selinsgrove will move on. There's no winners here and you hope everybody can take from it and other universities and colleges can learn from it," said Reichley.
The investigation concluded that the player in question had no knowledge of this tuition payment, and his name has not been released by the university.
