At the Associated Press Sports Editors Commissioners meeting this morning, NCAA President Mark Emmert said the words we never thought we’d hear: “I could’ve handled things better.”

The APSE is a national organization that strives to improve professional standards of sports departments. Jeff Rosen, sports editor for the Kansas City Star, and Sporting News college basketball editor Kami Mattioli were at the event live-tweeting Emmert’s comments.

Emmert asked: How has Penn St. scandal changed the way #NCAA does business?: “We’d handle the communications differently.” …

— Jeff Rosen (@jeff_rosen88) April 23, 2015

@jeff_rosen88 he is literally adding to NCAA liability as we speak.

— Scott Paterno (@ScottPaterno) April 23, 2015

Emmert: “I get people asking when we’re going to let them put the (Paterno) statue back up. Like we took it down.” … — Jeff Rosen (@jeff_rosen88) April 23, 2015

Emmert used the Paterno statue as an example to show how communication between NCAA, PSU was somewhat muddled.

— Kami Mattioli (@kmattio) April 23, 2015

Emmert stumbling over words trying to explain his thoughts re: PSU sanctions, says “The sanctions they created were right and appropriate.”

— Kami Mattioli (@kmattio) April 23, 2015

NCAA’s Emmert summing up #PennState aftermath: “I could’ve handled things better.”

— Jeff Rosen (@jeff_rosen88) April 23, 2015

This is in contrast to his opinion just seven months ago, which elicited this story and headline from the Patriot News.

Emmert went on to talk about discipline, academic integrity, and eligibility.