Surma was badgered all conference long about the decision. The final question asked had to do with "a conspiracy" about the board trying to get Paterno out since 2004.
Surma's answer?
"I have absolutely no knowledge of what you're talking about. "
10:31 p.m. ET: "We thought that the difficulties that engulfed our univeristy, and they are great, that a change was needed for our university."
10:30 p.m. ET: Surma won't discuss Paterno's reaction to the decision.
10:28 p.m. ET: Surma announces the vote was unanimous.
10:27 p.m. ET: Surma on students' reaction/defense of Paterno: "The students are important to us, but our job was to make this determination."
10:24 p.m. ET: Surma is being very careful not to get into speculating on specifics of the allegations.
His overall theme continues to circle back to the fact that change was needed.
10:23 p.m. ET: Surma: "We thought a change was necessary. We thought it was going to be damaging to the university which is why we made the change."
10:22 p.m. ET: John P. Surma, the vice chairman of the board, is the one addressing the media.
Unsurprisingly, he is getting grilled right now.
"We did the best job we could," he says.
10:19 p.m. ET: Assistant coach Mike McQueary was apparently given no discipline for his role.
10:19 p.m. ET: Paterno was apparently told over the phone that he's been let go.
10:16 p.m. ET: Tom Bradley has been named the interim head coach.
"It was the trustees' view that it was in the best long-term interest," says a member of the board.
10:15 p.m. ET: Both Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier are out effective immediately.
That, of course, means that Paterno will not coach Saturday or the rest of the season and his long tenure has come to an end.
10:13 p.m. ET: ESPN's Tom Rinaldi is reporting that the board of trustees was split on the decision of president Graham Spanier.
It sure sounds like the board discussed the future of both Spanier and Paterno and hopefully we'll get some answers in the next few minutes.
10:11 p.m. ET: Things seem to be running a little late, as the news conference has yet to get under way.
9:55 p.m. ET: The biggest thing to watch in a few minutes will be whether or not Paterno will be allowed to coach again for the Nittany Lions.
There are already initial reports surfacing that he will not coach another game at Penn State.
We'll find out in a few minutes.
9:40 p.m. ET: It sounds like there's going to be wholesale changes at Happy Valley, and on Wednesday night, we may start to get a better idea of what changes are coming for Penn State.
The Penn State Board of Trustees met on Wednesday evening to discuss the next course of action in the ongoing saga that has come about in the wake of the arrest of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. He was arrested Saturday and charged with sexually assaulting eight boys over 15 years.
University president Graham Spanier has reportedly already delivered his letter of resignation, and head football coach Joe Paterno said in a statement on Wednesday that he's going to retire at season's end.
There is a news conference expected to take place Wednesday at 10 p.m.
