Yesterday, the NCAA officially denied all appeals laid forth by USC stemming from the hammer dropped on the program last year that included a loss of 30 scholarships and a two-year bowl ban.
Now that the news has had a chance to settle in and ferment a bit, everybody from USC president Max Nikias on down has something to say about the ruling, and as one would expect, they’re not too happy.
Here are the responses:
President C. L. Max Nikias
“We are extremely disappointed in this result. We are very concerned that the historical value of case precedent and the right to fair process in the NCAA adjudicative process, both in terms of the ability of an institution to defend itself or prove an abuse of discretion on appeal, have been substantially eroded. Further, the decisions of the COI and IAC have set a standard that leaves little, if any, room to discipline more egregious violations that will be addressed by the NCAA in the future without irreparably damaging athletic programs across the country. Notwithstanding this troubling concern and our grave disappointment, we will look forward to the future.”
AD Pat Haden
“I was part of the USC team that met with the Infractions Appeals Committee on January 22nd. Although I am gravely disappointed, I can assure our student-athletes, coaches and fans that we made every possible argument — forcefully and vigorously — for modifying unjust penalties.”
His Kiffiness
“I respect the NCAA’s decision to uphold the sanctions against USC. That being said, I am disappointed for our players, our fans and our staff that another bowl game and now a possible Pac-12 championship game has been taken away from them.
“I have been and always will be committed to making sure we are following all NCAA guidelines and bylaws to ensure that we are winning the right way.”
I just had to add in that last little bit by Kiffin.