The NCAA laid down the law today. Wow!!

-- Modified on 6/9/2010 11:29:56 PM

Wonder how long itwill take for Kiffin to add to that.

Wonder if Pete Carroll saw that coming?


Thank You
XLV = 4

everything he could out of the job and decided to get out and let someone else clean up the mess.

Now figure out where my loyalty lies. It ain't that far from USC.

It's about time the get consequences for their actions!!

From everything I read, no additional penalties were levied on the basketball program other than the self-imposed penalties. They also had to forfeit the over $200,000 they received from the 2008 NCAA men's tournament. The expanded Pac-10/16 is going to really hurt USC, because now they have to deal with the newcomers like Texas and OU.

I just finished reading the entire 7 page press release put out by the NCAA announcing the sanctions and have come to the conclusion that the NCAA and their "Committee on Infractions" are nothing but a bunch of sanctimonious ass holes.

The press release states the "the committee noted that the violations in this case strike at the heart of the NCAA amatuerism principal, which states that intercollegiate athletics be motivated primarily by education and its benefits."

Is that not the funniest thing you've ever read?  The NCAA, amatuerism?  The sole reason for the existance of big time college football and basketball is to provide sports for TV programming and maximize revenue from such programming.  (Not to mention that those revenues go only to the athletic departments of the univeristies involved, not the chemistry departments!)  And remember, since the universities are non-profit organizations, the revenue is tax free!!

Does anyone besides me find it ironic that at exactly the same time these sanctions are announced, that the athletic conferences are undergoing major realignment?  And again, the sole purpose of such realignment is to maximize TV revenue, as the individual conferences control the TV contracts.

But what is really interesting is just who is on this "Committee on Infractions" that determined the sanctions.  (The committee members are listed in the press release.)  Here's a little background on 3 of the members:

One is a "lecturer of law and education" from the University of Miami.  Miami!!  Now that's an example of how to run a football program that is "motivated primarily by education and its benefits."  NOT!!!!  Did anyone else see that ESPN documentary that was on a couple of months ago about Miami football in the late 80's and 90's?  Players and coaches from those teams proudly bragged of recruiting gang members that never saw the inside of a classroom as players.

Another is a "professor of constitutional law" at the University of Nebraska.  Nebraska.  A school that just left the Big 12 conference for the Big 10 conference because they weren't getting enough money in the Big 12.  (So much for that "amateurism principal.")  Nebraska, a school that has just suffered back to back losses to USC's football team on prime time national TV.  A little pay back, don't you think?

And now, for the funniest of them all.  One member of the committee is a "deputy director of athletics" from, are ready for this, from, you're not going to believe this, from.....Notre Dame.  That's right, NOTRE DAME!!!!!!!  Exactly how long has it been since your football team beat USC?  A good time to extract a little revenge, isn't it?  That committee member is not upset with Reggie Bush for taking money from an agent while in college, but is upset with Reggie Bush for pushing Matt Leinart into the end zone for the winning touchdown in South Bend a few years back.  And by the way, Notre Dame's "amateurism principal" includes a TV contract with NBC in which they don't share the money any other school since they are "independent" and not part of a conference.

So ladies and gentlemen, it would appear that some members of the committe were not motivated by principals of amateurism and education and its benefits.  Instead, they are more like our friend St. Croix in his post above:  they have an ax to grind against USC and they are grinding it very sharply.  

I'm not saying Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo didn't take money from agents while at USC.  And it sure looks like the USC coaches took a "don't ask, don't tell" approach to those players while they were taking the money.  What I find disgusting is that a group of USC's competitors can get together and secure advantages for their own institutions against USC in the future, all in the hypocritical name of the "amateurism principal."  

Inspector Morse
B.S., USC, 1984

Juniors and seniors can transfer to other schools without having to sit out a year, and other schools can initiate contact with players eligible players of interest.

going to take their trophy back from USC.