Southern California’s football program has been fined $50,000 and placed on probation for one year by the NCAA due to several violations of coaching staff rules over the past two seasons.
The NCAA and USC announced on Tuesday that they reached a settlement in the case.
An investigation by the NCAA found that USC exceeded the allowed number of countable coaches during the 2022 season and during spring practices in 2023. Eight analysts were involved in coaching, both on and off the field, which was six more than the allowed number.
Both sides also agreed that head coach Lincoln Riley violated head coach responsibility rules but that he would not be suspended.
In January 2023, the NCAA updated its rules to limit the number of coaches and what they can do.
“Because Riley was not personally involved in the violations and showed that he promoted an environment of compliance and monitored his staff, Riley refuted the assumption of responsibility for the violations that happened before the rule changes,” the NCAA said in a statement announcing the settlement. “For the same reasons, both parties agreed that Riley should not face a suspension.”
Riley briefly commented on the NCAA’s decision after USC’s practice on Tuesday night, saying that the program had “had that behind us now for multiple months.”
“That’s one of the challenges that we all face is that you could work at different institutions, and then the definition of all that, how it’s interpreted, is going to be different at a hundred different places,” Riley added.
“So I think you see what the level of penalties that were levied. In this day and age, the head coach responsibility thing, it’s a big deal, and we get it. If it’s something very serious, they’re going to suspend the head coach, so I think that kind of says what it was. We don’t take it lightly. We own the things that we have to correct, and we move forward.”
The probation is another setback in what has been a disappointing third season for Riley. USC is 4-5 overall and 2-4 in its first season in the Big Ten, with a game against Nebraska on Saturday.
Riley, who moved to USC after five years at Oklahoma, was 11-3 in 2022 but has a 12-10 record over the past two years.
The NCAA also restricted USC’s special teams analyst from participating in practice and film review for six consecutive days during two weeks in the 2024-25 season. The other analysts will be restricted from practice and film review for six consecutive days during four weeks in the 2024-25 season.
“Since learning of potential violations related to our football program in May 2023, USC has worked cooperatively with the NCAA enforcement staff and the Committee on Infractions, as we identified and acknowledged violations, issued corrective measures, and submitted a negotiated resolution in a timely manner that was approved by the Committee,” said USC athletic director Jen Cohen in a statement.
“We remain committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical behavior and integrity in our athletic programs.”
