Further proof of a program out of control. Do something Jacobs
Cooperation could help USC limit NCAA sanctionsBy Scott Wolf Staff Writerwhittierdailynews.com
Posted: 09/03/2012 10:19:42 PM PDT
September 4, 2012 5:21 AM GMTUpdated: 09/03/2012 10:20:51 PM PDT
USC finds itself in a familiar position today, ranked as one of the nation's top-five football teams and about to be the subject of another NCAA investigation.
That might be where the similarities end, however, compared with past investigations into alleged wrongdoing.
Athletic director Pat Haden announced Saturday he alerted the NCAA and Pacific-12 Conference about allegations a key figure in the Los Angeles County assessor's scandal gave a car and plane ticket to former tailback Joe McKnight and $3,700 to former basketball player Davon Jefferson.
The tone of Haden's response showed USC no longer wants to be combative, like it was during the Reggie Bush investigation.
"USC takes its compliance obligations with NCAA and Pac-12 rules extremely seriously and we are dedicated to playing and competing the right way," Haden said.
USC previously investigated the 2006 Land Rover driven by McKnight and owned by Assessor's Office employee Scott Schenter. But a $625 plane ticket for McKnight to New Orleans and the cash to Jefferson were uncovered in emails obtained by the Los Angeles Times during the course of an investigation into former county assessor John Noguez.
Schenter is charged with giving improper tax breaks to wealthy Los Angeles residents who made campaign contributions to Noguez.
When McKnight's car first became an issue, USC did not clear him to play in the 2009 Emerald Bowl and he quickly turned pro. The NCAA didn't include the incident in a 2010 report that slapped USC with a two-year bowl ban and loss of 30 scholarships over three years.
The allegation involving Jefferson further reinforced that former basketball coach Tim Floyd had little control over his program in 2007-08. That was the same year the NCAA determined O.J. Mayo accepted cash and gifts from his mentor, Los Angeles events promoter Rodney Guillory.
Unlike when the NCAA initiated its investigation into Bush and Mayo, though, USC is in a much different place today and that could influence the severity of possible sanctions.
The university was at times defiant during the Bush investigation. But USC's fostered a close relationship with the NCAA since Haden and school president Max Nikias took over two years ago. They traveled to the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis several times to show their good intentions and desire to follow rules.
This should help during the current investigation. After taking a pretty hard hit two years ago, USC has gone out of its way to show the NCAA the culture of the athletic department has changed.
It will also help that the alleged violations took place before Nikias and Haden were in charge. USC probably won't face severe penalties, especially since Haden said the NCAA already received a report on McKnight's car in 2009 and no violation was processed.
Is USC doing enough to prevent these types of incidents? Nikias made sure USC has one of the largest compliance offices in the country with 12 full-time members. This is the department that monitors athletes and makes sure coaches follow NCAA rules.
The problem is unless a college is going to start tapping cellphones or spying on athletes at their apartments, they cannot prevent agents or boosters who really want to break rules from doing so. Even Haden has admitted things will arise in the future. It's impossible to control 100 football and basketball players, especially in a place like Los Angeles.
In 2009, USC already made athletes bring in their rental agreements and car registration. But McKnight drove a car registered to someone else. If he accepted an airplane ticket, it was bought by someone else.
If Jefferson received $3,700 from Schenter, how could it be prevented?
Last month, USC gave the media a seminar to show how concerned it was about following NCAA rules. Dave Roberts, the school's vice president for compliance, said proposed new rules that could go into effect next year hold a head coach responsible if an assistant breaks the rules.
He didn't mention when Lane Kiffin was at Tennessee, his assistant coach, Willie Mack Garza, paid for a recruit to make an unofficial visit to the school. USC fired Garza last year when the NCAA investigated the incident.
Under the new rules, Kiffin could be suspended.
"We don't want a coach suspended for breaking a rule," Roberts said.
But if a coach or athlete wants to break a rule, it's impossible to stop.
Read more:
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_21462617/cooperation-could-help-usc-limit-ncaa-sanctions#ixzz25huHL5hk
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