<p>WOW! </p>
<p>A two-year bowl ban and a loss of more than 20 football scholarships are among the sanctions that the NCAA has dealt USC.</p>
<p>The NCAA informed USC of its decision after a four-year investigation regarding allegations centered on former football player Reggie Bush and former basketball player O.J. Mayo.</p>
<p>This is absolutely crippling. Look at what happened to Miami’s program after sanctions were levied on them awhile back. It took them years before they could get back to the same level.</p>
<p>I’m glad to see the NCAA come out strongly on this though. Many of these athletes regard college as just a stepping stone to the pros and do not take amateurism seriously.</p>
<p>Do you think USC appeal to the NCCA will have any hope to lesson the sanctions?</p>
<p>USC’s program will recover from this.</p>
<p>They have VERY STRONG recruits coming in — in fact 3 of the top 4 recruits in the NATION which will be apart of the Class of 2014.</p>
<p>bbgg - The appeal will likely be unsuccessful. Ask Alabama. In fact, the NCAA has changed their criteria on appeals. </p>
<p>According to ESPN,</p>
<p>"The Infractions Appeals Committee will reverse or modify a ruling only if one of the following standards is proven:</p>
<pre><code>* 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.
</code></pre>
<p>The penalty is excessive, but they will have a hard time convincing an abuse of discretion. Good luck to SC!</p>
<p>A possibility is that if the Trojans appeal and it months to complete the process, USC will be eligble this season (2010) for post season play. In 2011 and 2012, they would not. In all honesty, I just want to get this over with and move on. </p>
<p>FIGHT ON.</p>
<p>Does anyone else think Pete Carroll had an inkling this was coming down, and as a result sought a coaching job elsewhere? Do you think he had known Reggie was getting these kinds of deals?</p>
<p>^obviously, why do you think he bolted to the NFL</p>
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<p>That assumes they won’t try and back out. </p>
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<p>To possibilities: No and H*ll No.</p>
<p>I hope what happened to USC will be a lesson to other NCAA programs. That said, I think USC will recover</p>
<p>The NCAA should just let schools pay their athletes if they want to. How many of USC’s football players do you think even show up to class?</p>
<p>Vinceh - a number of recruits have already come out in public, some in the class of 2014, others in the class of 2015 speaking about the sanctions and how it will not affect their decision. Will some jump ship? Sure.</p>
<p>But I don’t think it will be many.</p>
<p>The real question is whether Seantrel Henderson will stay.</p>
<p>^^^ I hope your right, but what a high schooler says and what he does can often be very different things. Throw in the report that juniors and seniors can transfer with no waiting period ([USC</a> Trojans juniors, seniors can transfer without sitting - ESPN Los Angeles](<a href=“Penn State's Abdul Carter charged with marijuana possession - ESPN”>USC Trojans juniors, seniors can transfer without sitting - ESPN)) and I just think it’s going to be a few nerve wracking months. </p>
<p>P.S. I thought Kiffin’s answer to the effects on recruiting was a classic example of “whistling past the graveyard”. I hope he’s right.</p>
<p>I don’t think they will appeal. </p>
<p>I thought they would, but apparently the new rumor is that the NCAA told USC to stand down on appealing or the NCAA will open up an investigation into Joe McKnight. 3 investigations in 10 years means the results would not be pretty.</p>
<p>Granted, this is just a rumor, but it honestly does not surprise me that much. </p>
<p>:( I was hoping they could appeal and not lose as many scholarship and maybe just be banned for one year.
Going to have to get creative with some of the scholarship, i.e. look for some football players that happen to be decent at track.</p>
<p>I think Pres. Sample should do incoming Pres. Nikkias a favor and fire Mike Garrett before Sample leaves his post in August. See this from the LA Times. Arrogant all the way …</p>
<p>[Mike</a> Garrett doesn’t back down - latimes.com](<a href=“http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-0611-usc-coaches-20100611,0,1745152.story]Mike”>Mike Garrett doesn't back down)</p>
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<p>For the record, most of them. I’m not claiming they’re the most dedicated academics here, but USC athletics tracks that fairly closely and occasionally you hear of a player getting punished for missing class or mandatory tutoring sessions. They have to stay academically eligible, after all.</p>
<p>i’ve been in classes with basketball and football players and theres staff from the athletic department that randomly stops by the class to make sure the athletes are in attendance. they just pop their head in or look through the glass in the door and then leave to verify that the athlete is in class.</p>
<p>Uh, excuse me…they are still in SCHOOL. When and IF they go into pro ball, THAT is when they should get paid. And, paid quite nicely at that.</p>
<p>I think it’s become so much about the money. When you listen to some of the college players speak, it shows that they don’t go to class. I think it’s ridiculous that they’re given leeway with their grades just so they can play ball. It sets a bad example. Hey, I love sports, but not when it becomes a primary focus in a school of higher education. I’m not saying this happens all the time or with every player. But, I know a couple of coaches who have some inside knowledge, so to speak. </p>
<p>**BuddyAwesome said:</p>
<p>The NCAA should just let schools pay their athletes if they want to. How many of USC’s football players do you think even show up to class? **</p>
<p>That’s what I heard from a sports announcer. But, who knows. It does seem like Pete Carroll left rather suddenly. 
Also, Lane Kiffin was coaching at USC when this was all coming down. I wonder if he wishes he was back in Tennessee right now. :)</p>
<p>APOL said:</p>
<p>Does anyone else think Pete Carroll had an inkling this was coming down, and as a result sought a coaching job elsewhere? Do you think he had known Reggie was getting these kinds of deals</p>