For University of Southern California running back Reggie Bush, 2005 was a magical year. Despite his team’s loss to Texas in the title game, Bush burned up the stat sheets all year long. But dark clouds soon followed. 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. For the very first time within the 75-year history of the Heisman Trophy, a winner (Reggie Bush) had to forfeit the award for accepting cash and gifts from agents while he was still in college. USC also faced sanctions, as outlined by media sources.
Junior and senior season Reggie Bush scandal shenanigans
The Reggie Bush scandal was under investigation by the NCAA Committee on Infractions for 4 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. Adding insult to injury, the university has also been forced to give up 30 athletic scholarships over the next three years. Current players and recruits have also been given the green light to transfer to an additional school without being penalized by the NCAA, as outlined by the new York Daily News. Some key players have already said goodbye to USC, and new head coach Lane Kiffin can have to discover a way to right the ship.
‘Like free agency without a salary cap’
Kiffin compares USC’s dilemma to a kind of free agency, even though such a thing would technically be against NCAA rules if it were really happening. “We’re dealing with free agency with no salary cap on our players,” said Kiffin. ”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”.
A strong start will help USC forget
Southern California has made a habit of sending talented quarterbacks to the NFL in recent years, and the program hopes for more of the exact same with sophomore Matt Barkley. But it definitely won’t be easy, as the media spotlight will shine as the vultures search for a carcass. For his part, nevertheless, Barkley appears to be realistic about the situation. 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 prepared to remain with the team through his senior season, the young quarterback said, “Yeah, hopefully. We’ll see”.
USC will have to wait and see whether the Scandal with Reggie Bush has indeed rocked the giant of a team from its exalted position atop the college football beanstalk.
Additional reading
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
