The NCAA is throwing the book at USC and pertaining to former Heisman winner Reggie Bush--USC's receiving a 2-year Super Bowl Ban, four years' probation for the school, loss of college football scholarships and forfeits of an entire year's worth of college football games. NCAA says the Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush received "improper benefits" dating to USC Trojans' 2004 national college football championship. Bush may even have his Heisman Trophy award title stripped over the scandal.
The NCAA's been investigating University of Southern California (USC), including both the school's renowned football and basketball programs, for four years. USC was penalized for a lack of institutional control in the ruling by NCAA, a report which cites numerous improper benefits the NCAA finds that Bush and former basketball player O.J. Mayo received.
Basketball player Mayo spent just one year with the USC Trojans' college team.
The coaches who presided over the alleged USC misdeeds, renowned football great Pete Carroll and Basketball's Tim Floyd, both left as coaches at USC during the past year. "I'm absolutely shocked and disappointed in the findings of the NCAA," former-coach Pete Carroll said in a video statement provided by NFL's Seattle Seahawks,the pro football team who hired Carroll in January 2010. "I never thought it would come to this . . . I'm extremely disappointed that we have to deal with this [NCAA ruling and Bowl Ban] right now."
NCAA penalties to USC include the loss of 30 of the California private college's Football scholarships over 3 years' time, and vacating 14 football game victories in which Bush played at USC from December 2004 through the 2005 college football season. USC beat Oklahoma in the BCS title game January 4, 2005, and USC also won 12 games during Bush's Heisman-winning 2005 football season, which ended with a game loss to Texas in the 2006 BCS title game.
Bill Hancock, executive director of BCS, said a committee will meet to consider vacating USC's 2004 championship Football title.
While no action would go into effect until USC's Appeals are heard by the NCAA, Hancock said there would be no 2004 Football champion if, in fact, USC's college victory is vacated.
Through four years of investigating, NCAA has found and rules that Reggie Bush received lavish gifts from two fledgling sports marketers that were hoping to sign him. Allegedly the sports marketers paid for numerous items for Bush, including hotel stays and even a rent-free home where Reggie Bush's family apparently lived.
NCAA also alleges and finds that Reggie Bush was provided a limousine and new clothing, a suit, for his acceptance of his Heisman trophy award in New York, December 2005. The NCAA rulings are a sharp repudiation of the USC Trojans' decade-long football program's history and success under coach Pete Carroll, who himself won seven straight Pac-10 titles and two national championships as a football player--before abruptly returning to the NFL and currently coaching the pro Seattle Seahawks team.
The private college's former basketball coach, Floyd, resigned from USC last June 2009, shortly after Mayo was accused of giving cash to a middleman who helped steer Mayo to the USC school.
NCAA also found and ruled that Reggie Bush, previously identified as a "former football student-athlete," wasn't really that much of a student. In fact, NCAA says Bush was actually ineligible to play football because of his academic standing--beginning at least by December 2004.
Bush might be stripped of his Heisman trophy award title altogether. That NCAA ruling and finding, pertaining to USC's Bush ineligbility as a football player during that time--could open discussion of the full revocation of the New Orleans Saints star's Heisman trophy award that he'd previously received.
Members of the Heisman Trust have said they might review Reggie Bush's award, if he were ruled ineligible for that time period by the NCAA. "I have a great love for the University of Southern California, and I very much regret the turn that this matter [findings and rulings by the NCAA regarding USC] has taken, not only for USC, but for the fans and players," football player Bush issued in a statement.
USC plans to appeal some of the penalties, by the NCAA, that the private college believes are "excessive". The NCAA took no further action against the USC Mens' basketball team, the college team which had (possibly wisely) already banned itself from post-season play last spring and vacated its wins from former player Mayo's basketball season.
Maybe USC was hoping that, by vacating its wins for the less successful basketball program would provide some leniency with NCAA's findings for the school's football program. Whatever the case, it's going to be a long two years for USC--and a long one for Reggie Bush.