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Recalling the NCAA’s absurd penalties against USC 16 years ago today
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- Recalling the NCAA’s absurd penalties against USC 16 years ago today
Today is June 10. For most of the country, that does not mean much. For USC fans, however, it is a date that will forever live in infamy.
16 years ago today, the NCAA hit the Trojans with one of the greatest travesties of justice of all time. On that day, the NCAA punished the USC football program with a two-year postseason ban and 30 lost scholarships over three recruiting cycles.
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What was the infraction that caused all of this? Why, the atrocious crime of star running back Reggie Bush 's parents receiving free rent from an outside agent who had no affiliation with the university.
On top of that, USC was forced to completely disassociate from Bush for ten years. It was not until 2020 that the Trojans were again allowed to acknowledge that Bush had even played for them.
Essentially, USC got sentenced to a decade in prison for a speeding ticket. The sanctions had a massive effect on the football program, turning the premier team of the 2000s into an average Pac-12 program. 16 years later, the Trojans have still yet to make it back to the level that they reached under legendary head coach Pete Carroll two decades ago.
Given everything that has happened in college sports since then, the penalties seem especially absurd. Because of this, you will not see many USC fans weeping for the NCAA, which, as we wrote yesterday , has now become a largely obsolete organization.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Recalling the June 10 NCAA sanctions against USC football
