NCAA Adopts Action by Pac-10 Against USC for Latest Violations

The National Collegiate Athletic Assn.’s Committee on Infractions announced Thursday that it has adopted Pacific 10 Conference penalties imposed upon USC last December for violations found in the school’s football program.

The penalties limit the number of scholarships that may be awarded the next two academic years and also reduce by one the number of assistant coaches the school may use to recruit off-campus.

The two-year probationary period limits USC to 22 initial grants-in-aid for the 1986-87 school year and 14 initial grants in the 1987-88 academic year.

Under normal conditions, 30 grants-in-aid scholarships may be awarded to new recruits each year for football.

The penalty limited total grants to 91 and 92, respectively, for the next two years as compared with the normal limit of 95.

During the probationary period, USC may use eight assistant coaches for off-campus recruiting instead of nine.

USC Athletic Director Mike McGee issued a statement that said: “The NCAA action conforms to the previously announced and enacted action by the university and the Pacific 10 Conference. We will have four less football grants for the 1986-87 academic year and three less for the 1987-88 year.

“Given our present football roster, that means we’ll have 22 and 14 grants available, respectively, for those two years. Programming is in place that should ensure no future reoccurrence of violations, and we now look forward to the upcoming football season with optimism.”

The significant violations found in the case occurred during the 1984-85 academic year and primarily involved the actions of one assistant football coach, Russ Purnell, who resigned during the processing of the case.

The violations found in the case included improper distribution of complimentary tickets, recruiting contacts, minor recruiting inducements and out-of-season practice and tryouts.

Frank J. Remington, chairman of the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions, said the committee was concerned that the violations took place during a period when USC was already on probation.