(Reuters) - The National Collegiate Athletic Association on Wednesday said a lawsuit by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett appeared "without merit" and was "an affront to all of the victims" of convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky.

Corbett said he would sue the NCAA in federal court to challenge the sanctions it levied against Penn State University over the Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal.

"We are disappointed by the governor's action today," the NCAA said in a statement.

(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)