NCAA Hammers USC

The NCAA released their statement today regarding the punishment to the USC program. This is a cliff notes version of the penalties that are self-imposed and penalties brought down upon by the NCAA.

- Public reprimand and censure.

- Four years of probation from June 10, 2010, through June 9, 2014. The public report goes into greater detail about the probation.

- Postseason ban for the 2009-10 men’s basketball season (self-imposed by the university).

- Postseason ban for the 2010 and 2011 football seasons. (USC can't attend a Bowl game for two years.)

- One-year show-cause penalty for the assistant football coach Todd McNair (June 10, 2010, to June 9, 2011).

- Vacation of all wins in which the former football student-athlete competed while ineligible, beginning in December 2004. This vacation includes participation in any postseason competition, including football bowl games. (This means they have to vacate their 2004 National Championship.)

- Vacation of all wins in which the former men’s basketball student-athlete competed during the 2007-08 regular season (self-imposed by the university). The committee also stated this vacation must include participation in any post-season competition, conference tournaments and NCAA championships.

- Vacation of all wins in which the former women’s tennis student-athlete competed while ineligible between November 2006 and May 2009 (self-imposed by the university). The committee also stated this vacation must include participation in any post-season competition, conference tournaments and NCAA championships. (Yes, even U$C tennis program is dirty.)

- Reduction of football athletics scholarships to 15 initial grants and 75 total grants for each of the 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years. This represents a decrease of 10 scholarships for each of the three seasons.

- Reduction of men’s basketball athletics scholarships from 13 to 12 for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 academic years (self-imposed by the university).

- Reduction of the total number of recruiting days in men’s basketball by 20 days (from 130 to 110) for the 2010-11 academic year (self-imposed by the university).

- A $5,000 financial penalty (self-imposed by the university).

- Disassociation of the former football student-athlete (Reggie Bush), the former men’s basketball student-athlete (O.J. Mayo) and the representative (Lloyd Lake) who provided extra benefits to the former men’s basketball student-athlete. This disassociation includes the refusal of any financial or recruiting assistance, as well as other conditions, which the public report further details.

- Release of three men’s basketball prospective student-athletes from their letters of intent (self-imposed by the university).

- Prohibition of all non-university personnel, including boosters, from traveling on football and men’s basketball charters; attending football and men’s basketball team practices; attending or participating in any way with university football and men’s basketball camps, including donation of funds; and having access to the sidelines and locker rooms for football and men’s basketball games. The public report further details appropriate exceptions for these limitations.

I'll have more on these sanctions and what they mean for USC, Pac-10, and college football either later today or by tomorrow morning.