According to this Sandusky set up or founded The Second Mile Club in 1977. Sandusky would've still been an assistant coach at that time. The organization was praised by Bush for community volunteer work in 1990.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Second_Milem
In 1971 a 15 year old who accused Sandusky of rape and was eventually paid off from one of the lawsuits eventually filed. The victim says his dad told college officials and/or two men identified as Jim and Joe. He says recognizes Joe Paterno's voice and Joe was one of the people his dad talked too. At least six assistant coaches supposedly knew about Sandusky's proclivities by the late 1980s and another coach said he knew in the 1970s.
http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...m-to-drop-rape-claim-against-sandusky-in-1971
In a college football program the size of Penn State's especially in the 1970s and 80s it was big and powerful yet small enough to be micro managed by a coach like Joe Paterno. Paterno had to nudged away from daily hands on decision making this century. He tried managing the program til the end of career. He was not the type to not know what was going on with his players, staff and/or facilities. And with any big program there is a lot of hand shaking, fund raising and/or charity work. Meaning he probably had contact with Penn State administrators ie the ones who knew about the insurance payouts. Given college football programs are notorious for anything from recruiting scandals/violations, academic cheating scandals or basket weaving courses and covering for their star players it's not that far a leap to cover for staff. Big time college football is money and way of life for too many, they minus well be a junky because their ain't no way in heck they are voluntarily going to give that up.
That being said yes there has been little or anything proven in a trial. But lawsuit depositions are sworn testimony in most cases. Too many different people have been coming out and saying things that all point in the same direction. I'd admired Bill Cosby for decades and thought he was a good example for a young person. But there is enough evidence out there I believe his accusers enough that he is no idol. It's tough having a contrived perception thrown at you year after year but remember big time college football is a show for money.