YOUR DESCRIPTION HAS REACHED THE LIMIT OF CHARACTERS ALLOWED AND WAS CUT. Undated (AP) -- Penn State is back in the bowl business. The NCAA on Monday lifted the on-the-field sanctions placed on the Penn State football team for the Jerry Sandusky scandal, including immediately eliminating the postseason ban that had two more seasons left and restoring scholarships next season. Penn State was halfway through a four-year postseason ban handed down during the summer of 2012. The NCAA rescinded some of the scholarship sanctions last year. In a news release, the NCAA said that in addition to the postseason ban being lifted, Penn State will be allowed to have the full complement of football scholarships in 2015. The school still must pay a $60 million fine, 111 wins under Joe Paterno plus one under Tom Bradley remain vacated and the school will remain under monitoring. The decision by the NCAA's Executive Committee followed a recommendation by former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, whose second annual report as Penn State's athletics integrity monitor concluded the university was in compliance with a 2012 agreement and consent decree. "Senator Mitchell's report and recommendations, along with the actions taken by the NCAA today, are a recognition of the hard work of many over the past two years to make Penn State a stronger institution," said Penn State President Eric Barron. "This is welcome news for the university community, particularly for our current and future student-athletes." Mitchell said the school had made progress toward implementing a new human resources system, "fostering an ethical culture" and improving security at its sports facilities. "While each of these projects will require sustained effort, the work remains on track, and Penn State's commitment to completing these projects is apparent," wrote Mitchell. He said his own five-year oversight role, scheduled to continue to 2017, may end earlier as a result of the progress that has been made. Mitchell said his recommendation was focused on aspects of the penalties that affect student-athletes, many of whom stayed at Penn State despite the ability to transfer without penalty. "Many Penn State football players demonstrated loyalty by remaining at their university for two years without the prospect of playing in a postseason game," Mitchell wrote. "In light of Penn State's responsiveness to its obligations and the many improvements it has instituted, I believe these student-athletes should have the opportunity to play in the post-season should they earn it on the field this year." His 58-page report said incidents involving the football team this year included two student-athletes who allegedly refused to leave a fraternity party when asked, alleged harassment of a parking officer who ticketed illegally parked mopeds, and the son of a team official practicing at a school facility in violation of university rules. "Penn State's commitment to the integrity of its athletics department and its progress toward meeting the requirements of the Consent Decree are clear," said Northern Arizona President Rita Hartung Cheng, who chaired Monday's Executive Committee meeting. "We thank Senator Mitchell for his meticulous and exhaustive work over the past two years." The penalties against Penn State were unprecedented in many ways and not well-received by many in college sports because of that. While the NCAA cited lack of institutional control, Penn State's missteps had nothing to do with competition and the areas that usually fall under the NCAA's jurisdiction. "The biggest problem I had was the effect on the student athletes in the program," said former Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, who worked in NCAA enforcement during the 1980s,

• published: 19 Sep 2014
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