Penn State board of trustees decided not to take any action on its consent decree with the NCAA in a meeting held Sunday.

While the board didn't take an expected vote to ratify NCAA sanctions, it did voice strong support for president Rodney Erickson's actions leading up to the penalties.

The board met via conference call initially with a plan to vote to ratify the binding document signed by president Rodney Erickson in July. His decision to approve the unprecedented NCAA penalties without getting full board approval drew the ire of some in the community, and appeared to cause a rift among some board members. Hence, in response, the board held the meeting.

But the University's charter requires 10 days' written notice of a board meeting, while the trustees' own bylaws require three days' notice. Because of this discrepancy, 'out of an abundance of caution,' the board would not take any action Sunday, said board chairwoman Karen Peetz.

Instead, it heard explanations from Erickson as well as Gene Marsh, an attorney with experience dealing with NCAA sanctions, who advised Penn State during the process. It almost unanimously voiced support for Erickson whose move, according to officials, saved the University from 'death penalty'.

"I would like to be clear on one thing. I absolutely support President Erickson and his decision to accept the consent decree as the only real option in the extraordinarily difficult circumstance," said Peetz. "It is my sense that every member of this board also fully supports President Erickson, even though we may not agree with the process used by the NCAA or with the harshness of the sanctions imposed."

The unprecedented NCAA sanctions included a $60 million fine, four-year postseason ban, a reduction in scholarships and the vacation of wins from 1998 through 2011.

"It was clear that the NCAA was not interested in negotiation the terms of the consent decree," said Erickson. "It was a take-it-or-leave-it proposition."

Two groups are currently appealing those sanctions.

The sanctions are based on the findings of former FBI director Louis Freeh, whom the school hired to investigate the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal.