Here’s a key passage from today’s NCAA announcement.
“While the university stated that the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions erred in concluding that sports marketers in the case were Southern California boosters, the appeals committee disagreed, “We are persuaded that there is sufficient evidence to support the Committee on Infractions’ conclusions regarding these issues, and find no basis on which to reverse the pertinent findings,” the appeals committee said in its public report.”

Here’s the members of the Infractions Appeals Committee that approved the original NCAA decision: Christopher L. Griffin, Foley & Lardner LLP, chair; Jack Friedenthal, professor of law at George Washington University; William Hoye, executive vice president for administration, planning and legal affairs at the Institute for the International Education of Students; Patti Ohlendorf, vice president for legal affairs at University of Texas at Austin; and David Williams, vice chancellor and general counsel at Vanderbilt University.

Robert Woods and T.J. McDonald are third-team All-Americans on Phil Steele’s preseason team. Steele are announced his Pac-12 team.
Continue reading “Preseason All-Americans” »

Conventional wisdom seems to be that the NCAA’s decision buys Lane Kiffin extra time as coach because he now has a built-in excuse if USC struggles. Or does probation increase the sense of urgency for results?

Here is what USC president Max Nikias said regarding the decision.

“We are extremely disappointed in this result. We are very concerned that the historical value of case precedent and the right to fair process in the NCAA adjudicative process, both in terms of the ability of an institution to defend itself or prove an abuse of discretion on appeal, have been substantially eroded.
“Further, the decisions of the COI and IAC have set a standard that leaves little, if any, room to discipline more egregious violations that will be addressed by the NCAA in the future without irreparably damaging athletic programs across the country. Notwithstanding this troubling concern and our grave disappointment, we will look forward to the future.”

Pat Haden on the NCAA decision: “I was part of the USC team that met with the Infractions Appeals Committee on January 22nd. Although I am gravely disappointed, I can assure our student-athletes, coaches and fans that we made every possible argument — forcefully and vigorously — for modifying unjust penalties.”

Lane Kiffin is “disappointed” in the NCAA’s decision. Here’s the full statement.
Continue reading “Morning Buzz” »

Here’s another quote that summed up USC’s appeal from back in January.
“Our primary contention is given what we were found to have done, these are the harshest penalties ever handed out,” USC senior associate athletic director J.K. McKay said.

Today’s appeal overshadowed what would otherwise have been big news here for many of the blog readers.

USC’s done just about everything possible since last summer to make nice with the NCAA. President Max Nikias and athletic director Pat Haden made a trip to Indianapolis last fall to show how USC implemented changes in the wake of NCAA penalties.
They also established good relations with NCAA officials in the past eight months. Haden never thought USC’s odds were good for the appeal but made an effort to court the organization.
The NCAA’s also been on a public-relations offensive with its new enforcement officer trying to make rounds with the media. And a couple weeks ago, the media was invited to Indianapolis to handle a mock case and see how the NCAA makes sausage.
All of this led to some hope the NCAA might reduce its penalties.
Nope.

By the way, Notre Dame’s decision to make the USC game its first prime-time telecast since 1990 probably adds fuel to the fire that committee member Missy Conboy, who works for Notre Dame, made sure the Trojans did not face a TV ban (but received nearly every other penalty).