BTN.com staff, December 20, 2011

New Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer released a statement on the NCAA sanctions levied against the Buckeyes on Tuesday morning. Check out his statement in this post. Also, read BTN.com senior writer Tom Dienhart's column on the sanctions.

Here is Meyer's complete statement:

?I agreed to become the Head Football Coach at The Ohio State University because Shelley and I are Ohio natives, I am a graduate of this wonderful institution and served in this program under a great coach. I understand the academic and athletic traditions here and will give great effort to continue those traditions.

?It is still my goal to hire excellent coaches, recruit great student-athletes who want to be a part of this program and to win on and off the field. The NCAA penalties will serve as a reminder that the college experience does not include the behavior that led to these penalties. I expect all of us to work hard to teach and develop young student-athletes to grow responsibly and to become productive citizens in their communities upon graduation.?