COLLEGE FOOTBALL : USC’s Ifeanyi May Face Additional Sanctions

Israel Ifeanyi, USC’s outstanding defensive end, was suspended for three games by the NCAA for accepting favors from a sports agent, but he might be facing more serious sanctions because of an unrelated incident, officials said.

The suspensions include last week’s game against Arizona State and Saturday’s against California.

Ifeanyi, a senior who played at Orange Coast College, now will have to settle a second issue before he rejoins the fifth-ranked Trojans. Sources indicated the possible violation deals with money Ifeanyi received from fellow Nigerians after the player became a well-known athlete.

“They’re still investigating,” Ifeanyi said while watching his teammates on television Saturday. “I’ve told them the truth from what I know about the situation.”

Ifeanyi admitted to NCAA and Pacific 10 Conference investigators that he received a phone card, a beeper and took a trip with teammates Shawn Walters and Errick Herrin to Las Vegas with Robert Troy Caron, the Oxnard agent who is being sued by the university.

Under NCAA rules, an athlete can lose eligibility if found to have accepted cash or other favors from a sports agent.

The cases of Walters and Herrin, described by school officials as more complex, are pending. USC has not petitioned the NCAA to restore their eligibility.

Walters, who led the team in rushing the last two seasons, received about $15,900 from Caron, according to a ledger obtained by The Times. Because of the amount in question, his collegiate career is in jeopardy.

All three were suspended by USC on Sept. 28. Last week, USC asked the NCAA to restore Ifeanyi’s eligibility, at that time considering his violations to be less severe.

Ifeanyi said he was surprised by the length of the suspension.

“After what I told them, I’m very, very surprised,” he said. “I’m a little bit disappointed.”

Caron, 37, a personal injury and criminal lawyer in Ventura County, has denied any wrongdoing. He said he never paid players until after their college eligibility expired.