USC Football On NCAA Probation For Coaching Violations, Lincoln Riley Not Suspended

The NCAA has put the USC Trojans football team on a one-year probation and face a $50,000 fine for coaching violations, according to a report from 247 Sports. USC coach Lincoln Riley will not be suspended as part of the action, despite violating head coach responsibility rules.

Oct 19, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the field before the game against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The NCAA has put the USC Trojans football team on a one-year probation with a $50,000 fine for coaching violations, according to a report from 247Sports. USC coach Lincoln Riley will not be suspended as part of the action, despite violating head coach responsibility rules.

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches pregame warmups against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

"The school and the enforcement staff agreed that the violations in this case occurred when 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," per the NCAA report via 247 Sports.

NCAA probation is a penalty that can be imposed on a college or university for various infractions, such as unethical conduct, lack of institutional control, or failure to monitor.

Oct 25, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Woody Marks (4) carries the ball against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Per 247 Sports, here is the full list of penalties:

The parties used ranges identified by the Division I membership-approved infractions penalty guidelines to agree upon Level II-mitigated penalties for the university and Riley. The decision contains the full list of penalties as approved by the Committee on Infractions, including:

• One year of probation. 
• A $50,000 fine.
• A restriction for the special teams analyst from practice and film review for six consecutive days during two weeks of the 2024-25 season.
• A restriction for the remaining analysts from practice and film review for six consecutive days during four weeks of the 2024-25 season.
• A reduction in countable athletically related activities for the football program by 24 hours during the 2023-24 season (self-imposed by the school).

While USC's violations occurred in 2022 and 2023, the news impacts an already disappointing 2024 season. The Trojans have been dealing with outside noise after losing games to Michigan, Penn State, Minnesota, and Maryland after holding leads in the fourth quarter.

The first year as members of the Big Ten Conference certainly did not go according to plan for USC. Most recently, Riley made a significant change to the offense, benching quarterback Miller Moss in favor of Jayden Maiava.

With only three games remaining, can Maiava bring this team to the finish line? In order to become eligible for a bowl game, USC must win two out of its last three games against Nebraska, UCLA, and Notre Dame.

The Trojans host the Cornhuskers in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 1 p.m. PT on Saturday.

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