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USC placed on NCAA probation for analyst violations

Erik-McKinneyby:Erik McKinney11/12/24

ErikTMcKinney

USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium
USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. (Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images)

The NCAA announced Tuesday that enforcement staff and the USC Trojans have agreed to violations and penalties from a Level II violation stemming from analysts providing on and off-field instructions.

USC has been placed on one year of probation — from November 12, 2024 through November 11, 2025. And the university has been fined $50,000. In addition, USC will have to restrict various analysts involved in the issue for six consecutive days during this season. USC self-imposed a penalty to reduce countable athletically related activities for the football program by 25 hours during the season. The Trojans also added a full-time athletics compliance staff member dedicated to football monitoring responsibilities.

The issue stems from when special teams analyst — presumed to be Ryan Dougherty though he is unnamed in the negotiated resolution — “provided technical and tactical instruction to at least one current football student-athlete during 2023 spring practice.” The NCAA enforcement staff received that information and sent a letter of inquiry to USC on May 31, 2023.

On August 3, 2023, USC submitted a self-report, which confirmed the special teams analyst “engaged in brief five-to-10 minute informal, unscheduled meetings with two football student-athletes who requested the special teams analyst’s assistance and feedback in reviewing their spring 2023 practice film.”

In addition, USC found that four offensive and defensive analysts participated in on-field practices in the spring of 2023 outside of their allowable responsibilities. That included “handling equipment, and delivered verbal instruction and feedback to student-athletes during individual position group drills and special teams sessions.” USC also found evidence of analysts providing that same type of on-field instruction dating back to 2022 spring and fall practices.

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Lincoln Riley will not face any suspension, though he was found responsible for the violations that occurred during the spring of 2023.

Considering Riley, the negotiated resolution reads:

“Riley was not personally involved in violations nor aware of the violations at the time the
infractions occurred. Riley also has a demonstrated track record of promoting an atmosphere of
compliance and monitoring his staff and has consistently taken active steps to ensure the football
program operates in a compliant manner. The parties agreed that Riley rebutted the presumption of
responsibility for the violations that occurred before January 1, 2023, and that a suspension penalty
was not appropriate.”

Following an NCAA rule change this past summer, all of the mentioned activities done by the USC analysts are now allowable under NCAA rules.

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