USC Football Fined and Placed on NCAA Probation for Coaching Violations

The penalties are due to violations involving "on-and-off field coaching activities" as the Trojans were found to have exceeded the allowable number of coaches in 2022 and 2023.

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

USC football has re-entered hot water entering its game week with Nebraska.

The Trojans' football program was fined $50,000 and placed on a year of probation Tuesday by the NCAA due to a violation involving "on-and-off-field coaching activities." The NCAA found that USC exceeded the number of allowed coaches in 2022 and 2023.

"Eight analysts for the football program engaged in on- and off-field coaching activities during spring 2022, fall 2022 and spring 2023, resulting in the football program exceeding the permissible number of countable coaches by six for two academic years," the NCAA said in its release. "As a result of the violations, the parties also agreed that football head coach Lincoln Riley violated head coach responsibility rules."

Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The NCAA loosened staff limits after the 2023 season, but the violations occurred prior to the change. Riley will not be suspended because he "was not personally involved in the violations and demonstrated that he promoted an atmosphere of compliance and monitored his staff," per the NCAA's release.

The NCAA applied further sanctions outside of the year of probation and the $50,000 fine. USC will be restricted from having the special teams analyst in practice and film review for six consecutive days during two weeks of the remainder of the season. The remaining analysts will be restricted from practice and film review for six consecutive days during four weeks of the 2024-25 season, and the school self-imposed a reduction in countable athletically related activities for the football program by 24 hours during the 2023-24 season.

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) runs for yards after the catch against the Washington Huskies during the second quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Riley opened his Tuesday media availability with a few comments on the situation.

"We've had that behind us now for multiple months and have been past it," he said. "I think you see, with the level of penalties that were levied, in this day and age, that the head coach responsibility thing has really ... it's a big deal, and we get it. If it's something really big, they're going to suspend the head coach, so I think that kind of says what it is. We don't take it lightly, we own the things that we have to correct and we move forward."

USC was off to a hot start in the early stretch of the season, peaking at No. 9 in the Associated Press poll. After falling at Michigan in September, the Trojans are 4-5 on the season and 2-5 in Big Ten Conference play.

USC welcomes Nebraska to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday with kickoff at 3 p.m. CST.

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