University of Southern California running back Reggie Bush tore up the gridiron in 2005. Despite his team’s loss to Texas in the title game, Bush burned up the stat sheets all year long. However none of this prepared University of Southern California for what was soon to come. As Bush left USC for the NFL, a Reggie Bush scandal involving pro agents flared up. The NCAA Committee on Infractions came into manage the flare-up. Bush lost his 2005 Heisman Trophy – the first time such a thing has happened within the 75-year history of the award – for accepting cash and gifts from professional agents. USC also faced sanctions, as outlined by media sources.
USC confronts Scandal with Reggie Bush critique for 4 yrs
The Scandal with Reggie Bush was under investigation by the NCAA Committee on Infractions for four years. It took the group that long to know for sure whether Bush and his family had accepted the bribes. USC now faces four years probation, which wipes away the possibility of bowl game births over that span. In addition, the university loses 30 athletic scholarships over the next three years. Current players and recruits have also been given the green light to transfer to one more school without being penalized by the NCAA, according to the new York Daily News. Some key players have already said goodbye to USC, and new head coach Lane Kiffin could have to discover a way to right the ship.
‘Like free agency without a salary cap’
Coach Kiffin likened USC’s current situation with players and recruits to free agency in college football, which technically does not exist, as players must not be paid if they are to maintain their amateur standing (and hence eligibility to play under NCAA rules). As Kiffin put it, “We’re dealing with free agency with no salary cap on our players”. “They can leave anytime to go anywhere and they can play right away. There is no cut-off date until after the final day of add-drop. It makes for a difficult situation”.
If USC succeeds this year, the pain will lessen
Southern California has made a habit of sending talented quarterbacks to the NFL in recent years, and also the program hopes for more of the very same with sophomore Matt Barkley. Barkley’s road definitely won’t be totally smooth, however. The media can be in hot pursuit of a train wreck story from USC. Barkley is realistic about the situation, nevertheless. He told the Daily News that “I signed (at USC) because it was the best chance for me to get to the league”. When Kiffin responded to the statement by asking Barkley if he planned to remain with the team via his senior period, the young quarterback said, “Yeah, hopefully. We’ll see”.
Speaking of reassurance, USC may also have to wait and see just how much damage the Reggie Bush scandal has done.
Discover more details on this subject
Babble
blogs.babble.com/famecrawler/2010/09/07/details-of-the-reggie-bush-scandal/
Los Angeles Times
articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/26/sports/la-sp-crowe-20100827
New York Daily News
nydailynews.com/sports/college/2010/08/21/2010-08-21_usc_looks_to_wipe_away_bush_scandal.html
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggie_Bush
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