USC Notifies Pac-10 of Probe

Four off-the-field controversies involving USC football players took varying turns on Monday, the first day the Trojans met as a team since a flurry of situations and alleged incidents rocked the program last week.

“The key topic was making sure everyone knew what was happening and emphasizing awareness,” Coach Pete Carroll said.

USC notified the Pacific 10 Conference of the school’s investigation into the financial arrangement by which split end Dwayne Jarrett and former quarterback Matt Leinart shared an apartment last season, a conference official said.

Leinart’s father told The Times on Saturday that Jarrett paid $650 of the $3,866-a-month lease on the upscale downtown apartment.

Bob Leinart said his son also paid $650, and he picked up the rest.

USC’s compliance office is investigating whether the arrangement violated NCAA rules, which could force the All-American receiver to sit out a portion of next season.

Asked Monday if he was concerned, Jarrett said, “I’m not worried about it. It’s all up in the air right now.”

Mike Matthews, the Pac-10’s assistant commissioner in charge of compliance, said Monday that if USC finds a potential violation, it would be sent to the conference’s enforcement committee for review and ultimately to the NCAA. Even if USC finds no violation, the school is expected to send a report to the Pac-10 for review, Matthews said.

Bob Leinart said USC officials told him Jarrett might have to repay about $10,000.

The Pac-10 and NCAA also continue to investigate the relationship between Reggie Bush’s family and New Era Sports & Entertainment, a marketing company that tried unsuccessfully to sign Bush as a client. Monday brought new questions about the role of a San Diego-based sports agent in the controversy.

David Caravantes had previously downplayed his role with New Era, but it was learned Monday that the company’s attorney described him as an employee in several correspondences.

The distinction is important because, while New Era is trying to recoup money it claims Bush’s family owes, Caravantes has come under investigation by the NFL Players Assn. amid counter-claims alleging he is working through the company to extort money from the running back.

New Era attorney Brian Watkins said he listed Caravantes as an employee only to shield him from the Bush family’s attorney who, he said, “was basically harassing anyone associated with this.”

The family’s attorney, David Cornwell, did not return phone calls.

Also on Monday, freshman linebacker Rey Maualuga agreed to take part in an arraignment diversion program in connection with an incident that led to his arrest last November.

Maualuga was charged Friday with one misdemeanor count of battery stemming from his punching a man at a Halloween party near campus.

Under terms of the program, Maualuga must complete 24 hours of anger management counseling, attend 26 Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, perform 100 hours of community service, formally apologize to the victim and the university, and begin a mentoring program with other athletes, said Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the city attorney’s office.

Maualuga has been given a May 1, 2007 arraignment date. “If he completes the program and there are no new charges within a year we will dismiss the charge,” Mateljan said.

Attorney Carmen Trutanich, who appeared in court on Maualuga’s behalf, said his client’s “behavior that night was an anomaly” and attributed the player’s actions to the stress of his father being near death from cancer. Talatonu Maualuga died Jan. 2.

Before he attended Monday’s team meeting, Maualuga said he would abide by the terms of the program.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Police Department detectives continue to investigate freshman quarterback Mark Sanchez, who was arrested last Wednesday on suspicion of sexually assaulting a female USC student. He is free on $200,000 bail and scheduled to appear in court on May 17.

Carroll said neither he nor any of his players had been contacted by police regarding the incident.