USC announced self-imposed sanctions on its men's basketball team this morning. Read the story and also see athletic director Mike Garrett's video announcement here.
The self-imposed sanctions for the men's basketball program include a one-year ban on post-season competition following the 2009-2010 regular season, including the Pac-10 Conference basketball tournament; a reduction of one scholarship for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years; a reduction by one of the number of coaches permitted to engage in off-campus recruiting activities during the summer of 2010, and a reduction in the total number of recruiting days by twenty days (from 130 to 110) for the 2010-2011 academic year. Also, USC will vacate all wins during the 2007-2008 regular season, which was when O.J. Mayo competed while ineligible. USC will also return to the NCAA the money it received through the Pac-10 Conference for its participation in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Tournament.
These self-imposed sanctions impact only the men's basketball program, and do not affect any other program.
The self-imposed sanctions for the men's basketball program include a one-year ban on post-season competition following the 2009-2010 regular season, including the Pac-10 Conference basketball tournament; a reduction of one scholarship for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years; a reduction by one of the number of coaches permitted to engage in off-campus recruiting activities during the summer of 2010, and a reduction in the total number of recruiting days by twenty days (from 130 to 110) for the 2010-2011 academic year. Also, USC will vacate all wins during the 2007-2008 regular season, which was when O.J. Mayo competed while ineligible. USC will also return to the NCAA the money it received through the Pac-10 Conference for its participation in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Tournament.
These self-imposed sanctions impact only the men's basketball program, and do not affect any other program.
What a disgrace - selfish POS OJ Mayo is making millions now, won't get any punishment, yet those hard working kids on the team will get punished.
Nice to see AD Garrett turn Tim Floyd and the BB program into scapegoat for Bush cheating. Time to get rid of another cancer - MG.
I think it's ridiculous that this year's extremely hard working team is being punished for something they had nothing to do with.
Give the money back? Sure. Vacate wins? Absolutely. Punish the coaches? Go ahead. But this is totally ruining the lives of the current team and absolutely the wrong decision to make.
Why doesn't USC just sue OJ Mayo and Guillory for the damages they have caused the University? It is bogus that anyone should be able to put the current student athletes on the team through all of this for their wrongdoings. How STUPID is OJ Mayo to take such a small pittance and jeopardize USC when he is making so much money now. Shame on Guillory too - they should both be jailed for breaking the law that they new about.
t's absolutely ridiculous that players like Mike Gerrity, who is a 5th year senior and will never again have a chance to reach the final 4, are being punished for something they had absolutely no involvement with. 3/5 of our starting line-up didn't even attend USC when OJ was there.
I have no problem with the eternal USC basketball team being punished if that is what is necessary. But the current line up of kids, yes KIDS, should not have their dreams crushed because of another selfish NBA star. To most of the guys on our team, this is their last chance to play meaningful basketball. They won't be drafted to the NBA and most of them not even to a European team. Now they have nothing. They are just shooting hoops. They can't win anything besides what has now become organized pick-up games.
It is utterly ridiculous to take away the chance for the current line up of Trojan basketball players to work hard and try to win something. The only lesson this teaches them and the world is that if you have the chance to cheat to get ahead, you may as well because you might get away scott free, leaving someone else to suffer the consequences.
Garrett's announcement is Nixon-like. "Mistakes were made." Remember?
Garrett doesn't hint at WHO made mistakes, or WHAT mistakes were made. And he's still lock-jawed about the subject everybody is anxious about--the hallowed football program. Mistakes were made there, for sure. But by whom?
In criminal justice, when you cop a plea you own up to everything. USC is a long way from that, sorry to say.
Is this self imposed weak actions supposed placate fans of the pac ten, I dont think so. We need some ncaa imposed actions. And the reggie bush actions need to come to light along with this years stuff. Mayo is just the surface obviously usc thinks this will make the ncaa look the other way in football also.
How sad for the Trojans and Coach O'Neill to be sanctioned lke this - it's not their fault! No wonder Tom Floyd and O.J. Mayo left and went to the NBA. USC ought to sue Tim Floyd and O.J. Mayo since they are both making big bucks in the NBA. Actually Tim Floyd and O.J. Mayo should have to donate $2 million dollars each to the USC athletic program for their their for what they have done to the BB team and Coach O'Neill!!!!