USC in trouble

[Scott M]

From ESPN

LOS ANGELES -- The NCAA threw the book at storied Southern California on Thursday with a two-year bowl ban, four years' probation, loss of scholarships and forfeits of an entire year's games for improper benefits to Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush dating to the Trojans' 2004 national championship.

USC was penalized for a lack of institutional control in the ruling by the NCAA following its four-year investigation. The reported cited numerous improper benefits for Bush and former basketball player O.J. Mayo, who spent just one year with the Trojans.

The coaches who presided over the alleged misdeeds -- football's Pete Carroll and basketball's Tim Floyd -- left USC in the past year.

The penalties include the loss of 30 football scholarships over three years and vacating 14 victories in which Bush played from December 2004 through the 2005 season.

USC beat Oklahoma in the BCS title game on Jan. 4, 2005, and won 12 games during Bush's Heisman-winning 2005 season, which ended with a loss to Texas in the 2006 BCS title game.

The BCS is likely to force Southern California to vacate its national championship. BCS executive director Bill Hancock says in a statement Thursday that the presidential oversight committee will meet soon to discuss whether USC will be stripped of its title.

If that happens, there will be no BCS champion for the 2004-05 season. Hancock said no action would be taken by the BCS until the appeal is heard.

Appeal chances not appealing

NCAA Minutes after Committee on Infractions chair Paul Dee answered his last question regarding USC, the university released a statement with its intent to appeal the penalties.

The odds of the Trojans winning that appeal, however, aren't good.

A source with extensive knowledge of the infractions and appeals processes told ESPN.com's Dana O'Neil that a switch in the NCAA's standards makes it extremely difficult for an institution or individual to win an appeal.

"Under new standards, you're just not going to see penalties overturned,'' the source said. "It used to be you had to show the penalty was excessive or inappropriate. Now you have to show that the COI abused its discretion. In other words, you have to prove they had an agenda. That's impossible.''

The trouble is spelled out in black and white on the NCAA's HSOforum, where it reads that the "Infractions Appeals Committee will reverse or modify a ruling ... only if one of the following standards is proven:

• The ruling was clearly contrary to the evidence.

• The individual or school did not actually break NCAA rules.

• There was a procedural error that caused the COI to find a violation.

• The penalty is excessive AND is an abuse of discretion.

"I am sure that's in part why this took so long,'' the source said. "They wanted to make sure they crossed every 'T' and dotted every 'I' and didn't commit some procedural error. That's almost the only way to get overturned on appeal.''

The rule went into effect in 2008 and since then, none of the four high-profile cases brought up for appeal have been altered.

Alabama tried to argue that its penalty -- vacating 21 football victories -- was excessive and that no other school had been punished similarly in cases involving student-athletes obtaining textbooks not included in their scholarships. 'Bama lost on appeal.

Memphis tried to reverse the decision to vacate its 2007-08 basketball season, claiming the COI didn't have enough evidence to suggest that either the school or Derrick Rose had reason to know that he was ineligible. The appeals committee "found no basis to conclude that the penalty was excessive such that the Committee on Infractions had abused its discretion in imposing the penalty.''

Florida State tried to overturn the punishment meted out to its football team, arguing the COI didn't consider give enough consideration to the university's involvement in the investigation. The penalty was affirmed.

Last year the NCAA affirmed its punishments of Indiana and head coach Kelvin Sampson, denying the school and the coach's appeal to lessen the penalties that crippled the program.

Dana O'Neil covers college basketball for ESPN.com and can be reached at [email protected].

The NCAA says Bush received lavish gifts from two fledgling sports marketers hoping to sign him. The men paid for everything from hotel stays and a rent-free home where Bush's family apparently lived to a limousine and a new suit when he accepted his Heisman in New York in December 2005.

The NCAA found that Bush, identified as a "former football student-athlete," was ineligible beginning at least by December 2004, a ruling that could open discussion on the revocation of the New Orleans Saints star's Heisman. Members of the Heisman Trust have said they might review Bush's award if he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA.

"The Heisman Trophy Trust will have a comment at the appropriate time," the group said in a statement. "Until that time, it will have no comment."

The rulings are a sharp repudiation of the Trojans' decade of stunning football success under Carroll, who won seven straight Pac-10 titles and two national championships before leaving for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks last January. Floyd resigned last June, shortly after he was accused of giving cash to a middleman who helped steer Mayo to USC.

"I have a great love for the University of Southern California and I very much regret the turn that this matter has taken, not only for USC, but for the fans and players," Bush said in a statement.

"I am disappointed by [Thursday's] decision and disagree with the NCAA's findings. If the University decides to appeal, I will continue to cooperate with the NCAA and USC, as I did during the investigation. In the meantime, I will continue to focus on making a positive impact for the University and for the community where I live."

Carroll says he's "absolutely shocked and disappointed" by the NCAA sanctions imposed on his former Southern California Trojans for improprieties surrounding running back Reggie Bush.

The new coach of the Seattle Seahawks said in a video produced Thursday at team headquarters that "the agenda of the NCAA's infractions committee took them beyond the facts."

USC plans to appeal some of the penalties it believes are excessive.

"There is a systemic problem facing college athletes today: unscrupulous sports agents and sports marketers," Todd Dickey, USC's senior vice president for administration, said in a statement. "The question is how do we identify them and keep them away from our student-athletes?"

First-year coach Lane Kiffin said: "There is some guilt in some penalties, but the punishment is too severe and that's why the appeal process is taking place."

The NCAA took no further action against the men's basketball team, which had already banned itself from postseason play last spring and vacated its wins from Mayo's season.

"As coach has wanted to say publicly for a long time, 'It didn't happen,' " Floyd attorney Jim Darnell said in a statement.

The women's tennis team also was cited in the report for unauthorized phone calls made by a former player, but the NCAA accepted USC's earlier vacation of its wins between November 2006 and May 2009.

"The general campus environment surrounding the violations troubled the committee," the report said.

The report also condemned the star treatment afforded to Bush and Mayo, saying USC's oversight of its top athletes ran contrary to the fundamental principles of amateur sports.

"Elite athletes in high profile sports with obvious great future earnings potential may see themselves as something apart from other student-athletes and the general student population," the NCAA report said. "Institutions need to assure that their treatment on campus does not feed into such a perception."

USC's saga reached its climax on a tumultuous day in college athletics, when Colorado's defection to the Pac-10 from the Big 12 provided the first steps in what could be a radical nationwide conference realignment threatening to change the nature of amateur sports.

While the bowl ban is the most damaging to Kiffin, who will have to ratchet up his formidable recruiting skills to tempt players with no hope of postseason play before 2012. USC also will lose 30 scholarships over a three-year period, 10 annually from 2011-13.

"We've had contact with a number of our signees today, a number of their families," Kiffin said. "We have had great response from them about their excitement about joining our program and continuing USC's championship level of play.

"I told the team, and I made sure they understood, that this is something happening to them that's adversity. Football, we talk about all the time, is about adversity, as is life. Our older players have played in a lot of bowl games. Our fifth-year seniors, a number of them have won a number of bowl games already, have played in three Rose Bowl championships."

USC quarterback Matt Barkley said: "We're doing a great job as a team of sticking together. Even our morning workout this morning was one of the best we've had. Guys were hyped up. We kind of took it as a challenge. We're excited. It does stink to not be able possibly to play in a bowl game, but at the same time I came here to get a degree from one of the best universities in the country and to win football games. If we play 13 instead of 14, then we're going to try to win all 13 of those."

USC had long been known for its lenient admission policy at football practices, which during Carroll's tenure were open to almost anybody from movie stars to regular fans.

Although Kiffin tightened the rules shortly after taking over, the NCAA also prohibited all non-university personnel, except media and a few others, from attending practices and camps -- or even standing on the sidelines during games, a favorite pastime of Will Ferrell and other wealthy USC alumni.

The Trojans barely avoided further punishment that would have removed one of the sport's most popular teams from television. The committee discussed a TV ban, but decided the penalties handed down "adequately respond to the nature of violations and the level of institutional responsibility."

USC is the first Football Bowl Subdivision school to be banned from postseason play since Alabama served a two-year ban ending in 2003. The NCAA issued no bowl bans during the tenure of late president Myles Brand, but the NCAA reportedly regained interest in the punishment over the past year.

The Trojans have been under suspicion for years. The NCAA, the Pac-10 and even the FBI conducted investigations into the Bush family's business relationships and USC's responsibility for the culture around its marquee football team.

USC officials including athletic director Mike Garrett and Kiffin appeared before the NCAA infractions committee in February to argue the school's ignorance of Bush's dealings.

The report also criticized "an assistant football coach" known to be running backs coach Todd McNair, putting him on a one-year "show-cause penalty" prohibiting him from recruiting, among other sanctions.

The NCAA condemned McNair's professed ignorance of Bush's dealings with sports marketers Lloyd Lake and Michael Michaels. Each sued Bush in attempts to recoup nearly $300,000 in cash and gifts they say were accepted by Bush's family during his career with the Trojans while they attempted to sign him as their company's first client.

"I know they did a very, very thorough investigation," said Brian Watkins, a San Diego attorney who represented Lake in a lawsuit against Bush. "It surely wasn't a rush to justice."

Watkins said he spoke with Lake after the sanctions were announced.

"He was sad. He wished that wouldn't have happened," Watkins said.

According to the committee chair, Dee, McNair "attested falsely that he had no knowledge of NCAA violations."

Kiffin was asked about McNair's future at USC in the wake of the report.

"Any questions about Todd McNair, Todd and his attorney will be answering," Kiffin said.

The USC men's basketball team banned itself from postseason play last season, stripped one scholarship for last season and the upcoming season, and reduced its recruiting abilities over the next year. The Trojans also vacated their 21 victories during the 2007-08 season under Floyd, who took over at UTEP this spring.

Floyd is now the head coach at the University of Texas-El Paso.

"We are pleased with today's announcement and the results of the NCAA's report," UTEP athletic director Bob Stull said in a statement. "Tim Floyd has had a nearly 30-year relationship with UTEP and we regard him not only as an outstanding coach, but as an individual of the highest character. I'm sure that Tim is happy to put this behind him and we look forward to him leading our basketball program."

[zepman]

Carroll knew about all this and that's why he jumped ship. IMO, he's a dirtbag.

[mrklean]

yeah him saying he knew nothing about it is a big lie, its USC he knows everything that goes on when it comes to his players but it was his golden boy so he looked away, it happens all the time this time USC got caught

[JBMasterAngler]

USC is still going to beat the gophers by 5 touchdowns.

[zamboni]

Seems like Heismans given to USC RBs are on loan only. OJ and now Reggie.

[JBMasterAngler]

This will make it harder for matt barkley to become a superstar! I predicted he was going to win the heisman (maybe twice) and at least 1 national title. Not looking too good now.

[jeffreyd]

This is going to have long and lasting effects on the USC programs period. He knew it was coming, they were talking about it last year but had the chance to jump and did. I would think that they can come back after him even tho he left but will they. The NCAA needs to get a handle on all of this illegal activity, look at U of A, they put themselves on probation over some Lute Olsen basketball misconduct. He was and is as dirty as they come in my opinion. It says a lot with Boise St leaving the Wac and moving to mountain west in 2011. They want a chance to be noticed in bowl games other than the fiesta bowl. The whole shake up of the 10, 12, and Pac 16 will put ACC and SEC on their toes. We will not see college football as it use to be. Good and bad.

[zamboni]

This will make it harder for matt barkley to become a superstar! I predicted he was going to win the heisman (maybe twice) and at least 1 national title. Not looking too good now.

He could transfer and sit out a year, and cite the coach leaving as his reason. I wouldn't blame him if he did

[JBMasterAngler]

I do like the fact that the NCAA is letting juniors and seniors transfer without having to sit out a season, but yeah, barkley would be screwed. I think if a coach leaves, all players should be allowed to transfer without having to sit out.

[PierBridge]

What a terrible deal for Seantrel Henderson. I believe if he changes his mind about going to USC after signing with USC he loses his freshmen year..

I'll add I'm ecstatic about the pain being inflicted on Lane Kiffin for sure..

Ouch!

[bassNspear]

not looking good for them. wonder how many players will jump ship to another team

[Scott M]

Here's the first:

USC Trojan release recruit Seantrel Henderson

by Joe Schad, ESPN

USC is releasing offensive tackle recruit Seantrel Henderson from his national letter of intent, coach Lane Kiffin said Tuesday.

Henderson, an incoming freshman and one of the nation's top recruits, signed with USC after initially delaying past national signing day over concerns the program might face NCAA sanctions, which indeed occurred.

Henderson also strongly considered Miami, Ohio State and Minnesota during the recruiting process.

Kiffin could have kept Henderson bound to his national letter, requiring him to either report or enroll elsewhere and pay his own way for a year before being eligible in 2011. Instead, Kiffin and USC are essentially allowing Henderson to enroll at any school immediately and be eligible to play as early as this season.

USC is still hopeful that Henderson will decide to enroll at USC.

"We are releasing Seantrel Henderson out of his national letter of intent with zero penalties and no restrictions. Seantrel has been great through the whole process and we wish him the best of luck with his decision," Kiffin said.

USC could have limited the other schools Henderson could pursue, such as eliminating schools within the Pac-10 or schools USC will face in the next few seasons. Instead, Kiffin took the approach that he wanted players on campus who know they want to be Trojans.

Henderson, who is listed at 6-foot-7 and 295 pounds, played for Cretin-Derham High School in Minnesota. Henderson was ranked by ESPN's Scouts Inc., as the top offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 8 player in the ESPNU 150.

Kiffin landed 15 four- and five-star recruits for what ESPN's Scouts Inc. ranked the seventh-best class in the nation.

The NCAA recently banned USC from bowl games for two years and imposed severe scholarship restrictions following an investigation surrounding Heisman Trophy-winning tailback Reggie Bush dating to the Trojans' 2004 national championship.

USC was penalized for a lack of institutional control in the ruling by the NCAA following its four-year investigation. The coach who presided over the alleged misdeeds -- Pete Carroll -- is now with the Seattle Seahawks.

The penalties include the loss of 30 football scholarships over three years and vacating 14 victories in which Bush played from December 2004 through the 2005 season. USC has appealed, arguing the sanctions are too severe and "inconsistent with precedent."

Defensive end Malik Jackson also announced he will transfer to Tennessee. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound junior from Los Angeles has two years of eligibility left. He appeared in 13 games last season and had 18 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

NCAA rules allow juniors and seniors to transfer without sitting out a season following the sanctions.

[so haaad]

It will be interesting to see where he ends up.

[jeffreyd]

while it will be interesting to see how this all plays out, the fact remains that if a single player can hold out because of what might be coming down the pipe just does not seem right. this guy made a commitment to USC to play for them, however then the NCAA put out the sanctions so he did not show up for camp. I wish that most things in life where that simple, he is a great player and i hope he finds a home that he can show all of his talents in. Might just be what the gophers need to get to the Fiesta Bowl.

[mrklean]

HAHA gophers, fiesta bowl, we can only dream about that. I was suprised to see them let him go its like the cavs saying its ok lebron go ahead and leave almost

[JBMasterAngler]

He isn't officially gone. He can still choose to go to USC. But it looks like he's leaning towards miami now.

Gophers in the fiesta bowl? HAHAHAHAHA!!! I am a gophers fan, but I will be wishing they lose every single game this season! The sooner we get that meat head off the sidelines, the sooner we can become a better program!

[LMITOUT]

Hate to break it to ya, but I think the Gophs are more than just "one player away" from making the Fiesta Bowl.......

[zepman]

He delayed his actual signing until it seemed that USC was going to be somewhat cleared....that obviously never happened. I'm sure that since he signed late he made USC agree to release him unconditionally if sanctions were brought upon the school.

I'm hoping others will follow in leaving...can't stand Kiffin or the whole USC program.

[toughguy]

Hate to break it to ya, but I think the Gophs are more than just "one player away" from making the Fiesta Bowl.......

2 Players?

[Born2Fish]

I think more like 11 players on offense and 11 on defense...Then MAYBE!

[mrklean]

22 players and another dozen coaches

[Mr.Seaguar]

Dont forget special teams. Maybe some hometown refs.

[SkunkedAgain]

Woah, woah, woah. The Gophers have a good long snapper.

[Born2Fish]

[JBMasterAngler]

I don't think these sanctions are going to affect the USC program all too much. They might not be elite for the next few years, but they're still gonna be darn good! It's still southern california, and there's still gonna be NFL scouts lined up along the sidelines. By the time alot of these incoming guys will be ready to play, USC will be right back in line to play in the rose bowl.