Here is athletic director Pat Haden’s response today regarding charges that former athletes Joe McKnight and Davon Jefferson received improper benefits from Scott Schenter, a former employee in the Los Angeles County Assessor’s Office.
One interesting note is that Haden says no violation was ever processed over McKnight’s use of a Land Rover owned by Schenter in 2009.
When allegations regarding Joe McKnight’s use of a Land Rover arose in 2009, USC fully investigated the matter. All of the information related to the investigation was sent to the NCAA. The NCAA staff accepted the report, and no violation was processed.
“We have just learned of new allegations presented by a reporter from the Los Angeles Times. We have discussed those allegations with the NCAA and PAC-12, and we will thoroughly investigate them and take any and all necessary actions.
“Since my 2010 appointment as USC’s Athletic Director, in conjunction with USC President Max Nikias and Dave Roberts, our Vice President for Athletic Compliance, we have diligently worked to enhance a culture of compliance throughout the Athletic Department and the University. We have been a national leader in athletic compliance matters, holding national conferences on issues impacting intercollegiate athletics such as agents, non-scholastic football 7 on 7 competition, high-profile student-athletes and other issues.
These events were attended by representatives of the NCAA, Pac-12, professional sports leagues, collegiate conferences and Division I institutions. We have increased the staff in our Office of Athletic Compliance and we will continue to stress and emphasize rules education and compliance to all of our constituents, including our student-athletes and their relatives, coaches and University staff, alumni, boosters and the media.
Just last week, as the fall sports season kicked off, Dave Roberts and I met again with our football team and staff to discuss and emphasize the importance of these rules and the need to be ever-vigilant in fulfilling our compliance obligations. Similar meetings will be held with all of our athletic teams this fall.
“I can personally assure you that USC takes its compliance obligations with NCAA and Pac-12 rules extremely seriously and we are dedicated to playing and competing the right way.”
What are the new allegations? Could this give us the death penalty or is this just a secondary violation thang?
in other words, “please Jesus, don’t hit us with the death penalty.”
So long Trojans. You’re about to get SMU’ed. I’m guessing the Pac-12 will bring in a comparable academic institution like Fresneck St. or LBCC in order to keep the Pac-12 title game.
from what I understand scott, Schenter has an email from Delta airlines showing he bought a $600 ticket for JM. Violation here.
He also has some document that lists $3000 in payments to Davon jefferson by name, although there is no proof any type of payments were ever made or where said money came from.
However, this document also lists $30000 in payments to someone named “joe” which could be JM or schenters work buddy joe galliardi…this is the hard one yes? If the NCAA thinks JMcknight got $30000 we would be in serious trouble.
Again, no proof of any payments or transactions being made.
Also, Schenter says he gave a Monte carlo to JM and JM says he wrecked it. Violation here.
So….
1. The NCAA thinks JM got $30000 in cash payments and air tickets and DJ got $3000…and takes 5 more scholies per year away and lengthens the bowl ban and probation and vacates wins. Wins for that year for BB team already vacated because of OJMayo. BB banned from post season for a few years.
2. NCAA thinks JM got a car and air tickets and DJ got $3000. Vacates wins extends probation and other sanctions. BB team banned from post season for a few years.
3. All of this comes to nothing as USC already investigated the matter and turned findings over to NCAA and nothing was done.
Either way, it was obviously timed to wreck USC’s season of being #1 and coming back from sanctions.
Would you say that is the long and short of it?
Bushwhite nails it on the head, especially when he says the timing is curious. On the one hand, we are on probation still and the NCAA can come down heavy if any of these allegations are true, especially the possibility that $30K may have gone to McKnight. On the other hand, this isn’t the same NCAA COI. They gave Ohio State a 1 year bowl ban and a few lost scholarships when it found out from Yahoo! that the head coach lied during an infractions investigation. Also though, Haden wants to portray himself as a straight-arrow, no-nonsense type of guy and he may decide (along with Nikias) to just impose a bowl ban this year. Obviously, not a good thing. We shouldn’t get too ahead of ourselves here. Unless McKnight speaks up, it’ll take a while to figure out which “Joe” received the big payment. By then, the season may have ended.
sweeeeet scooopin’, wolfman!!
this season is cursed!!!
first Kiff is caught lying about his AP vote. then the clown shoes come. now more cheating documented!!!
C-Buck told you Nabobs those evil coments about the late great Paul Dee would create a karma sh!t-storm!!
sounds like its gonna be Cat-5 Payback Karma-Chameleon Hurricane!!!
oh, ChuckerBucker, you’ve done it AGAIN!!!
Bucket,
Do you think they should put up a statue of Elgin Baylor outside Staples Center?
Jezro, sure i’ll bite, both big games are blowouts.
i don’t really care either way, but if i had a vote i’d probably say no.
he had great numbers and was a great athlete. but never helped us win the big one. in fact, when he retired, we immediately went on the 33 game streak with Jimmy Mac in his place and won the champeenship.
the litmus test for a statue should be a championship and only in RARE cases for longevity/performance. and i’m not holding his crummy job as Clips GM or that terrible toupe he wore against him.
so after they get the Shaq, Mikan, Kareen, jamaal, worthy, coop, kobe, Howard and Gasol statues up, then yeah put up an Elgin statue up. there is a lot of perimiter to the Staples center so why not.
^^ Dummies, after Mikan comes Jerry West. Baylor was everything these other guys were, and don’t forget Goodrich.
Son of Charlie Bucket – Gasol?
Geez, you are truly losing it.
Baylor outplayed him every season.
Gasol has trouble making an all-star roster.
Truly over-inflated, much like your wife/girlfriend.
Not that my opinion counts but I think the first thing to do would be to admit their mistake and take down the one of Oscar De La Hoya.
Before the NCAA gets involved, the member University must come to a finding. It’s then administered by the Conference and reported to the NCAA. If the Governing Body finds unresolved issues it may choose to confer with the Conference & school.
There is a 4 year statute of limitation.
Scott Schenter is charges with 60 felony counts for falsifying documents… not exactly the most credible character around.
what many of you seem to forget is that at time the L.A. Times ran this story, and even published a photo of McKnight, Carroll, and coaches admiring tge Land Rover, while Joe McKnight was putting his baby in his car seat after a practice. So no one can say here that USC didn’t know about this, as some of you
^^^as you claimed in the Bush scandal…USC will be found guilty, again.
Bottom line: Our guys took money and gifts. WE got caught. SC didn’t do a good enough job of scaring the $hit out of the kids, sort of like Wooden doing the same when Papa Sam was paying Fucla BB players (who have ADMITED it). IT HAPPENS. If you get caught, you pay the price. PH’s comments are TIRED. Seriously, I doubt any coaching staff was more shrewd (and probably cheated-tickets anybody? Patty, did you sell any of yours?) than McKay’s. Of course, The Capper will never admit he got any benefits living with his future coach. Whatever the NCAA does to us, PH will make sure we bend over and he still looks like “clean Gene”.
Bottom line to trolls: None of our AP NCs will EVER be taken away, just like your professional globe trotting teams under Filthy Wooden.
Not lost in the irony, these allegations were committed under Mike Garrett’s watch. I am beginning to believe he turned a blind eye to all the shenanigans that were happening right in front of Howard Jones field.
Need to keep the sycophants and wannabe agents away from the players. We didn’t and that’s on us. There’s too much to lose to now and we need to finally get all the skeletons out of the closet, take the punishment for our willingness to look the other way, and start fresh.
most interesting this more resigned reaction to this newest scandall from hardcore trOXan Kool-Aiders!!
last time it was all lets fight it! and no evidence! and Paul Dee is out to get us!!
now, it’s: okay, were screwed.
by the way Troxan Rick you have a point, although i would remind we wouldn’t have won the last champeeenship without the Gasol aquisition.
but what’s with the personal attack on family??? we have enough NOBS and Mono’s around here, they were banned for this kind of crap. lets’ not go down that road again.
@Love The Capper, those are some very harsh accusations you’re dishing out against the legend JW. From what I remember, the NCAA investigated and the NCAA dropped their invistigation simply stating “no wrong doing by UCLA or JW”, so yes that is correct, why would the NCAA ever take away any of the titles UCLA won. At the same time as JW was being investigated, USC was found guilty of the USC boosters funneling money to the players via Marg Goux, USC was placed on probation and none of their titles were taken away, so why would UCLA’s? considering no wrong doing was found by JW or UCLA?
What I find appalling is how Kiffin will take away a scholarship from a walk-on kid who’s busted his ass to earn that scholarship so he can hand it out to a felon the minute he stepped out of jail…that is bullshit!
NO BS lives forever. Pu$$ys like SOB, BSlob cried to Scotty, who knew NOBS had his number and knows all the inside info on Wolfie & USC Athletics.
Nem, you are right on. Patty Boy would have done the same as MG if the sanctions had never happened. Remember, Patty Boy was under McKay. Isn’t that when the ticket scandal took place??? PH loves to say “we will win the “right” way”. Glad he changed his mind from when he was a player.
Why all the interest in going back 40 to 50 years? Back in McKay’s day, every team had someone selling the player’s tickets to pick up some cash. Who cares about it now? And rehashing Coach Wooden makes no sense. The world has changed. Now athletes can leave school early. There is a LOT more money at stake along with agents, wannabe agents and various hangers-on trying to get in with the players. That is why you need a strong compliance staff.
SC has had a culture of bending the rules for a long time and has a wealthy and active alumni wanting to win and win big in football. Makes it a compliance nightmare for Haden. I am a Bruin fan who doesn’t give a rat’s ass about Joe McKnight and further sanctions. They happened under Mike Garrett when all the other stuff was already happening. SC should find out who might have been funneling the money through this particular fall guy or it could bring down the program in the future. Time to get on with the season. Nobody died here or was found with a 10 year old boy….so let’s play some football and see you at the Rose Bowl on 11/17.
Couldn’t they just say time served or have the sentences run concurrently?
PU, Haden is two faced. Oh, it’s ok to make a joke about the MURDER of Goldman/Brown? Oh, sure, he and Jonny Job Hopper are a riot a minute. It’s dusche bags like you that think you’re his pal that defend him. He’d throw you under the bus so fast your bra would fall off. And you want to talk about CULTURE? Where the F do you think PH got it? Hearing about Garrett being the fault is as much BULL $h!T as Prez Bush being responsible of the Obummer mess.
BTW, I hope your 3 freshman are not dirty. But hell, EVERYONE knows from their high profile that $$$$$ could be on the way or already there. Where’s Heavy Duty Dan? Or Gentle Ben?