He just can’t help himself, really.
Yesterday, Lane Kiffin created quite the stir, at least among readers of this site, when it was revealed that linebacker Simione Vehikite was back on scholarship after spending more than three months in jail stemming from a no-contest plea to a pair of felonies.
Later that day, the USC head coach likely pissed off the coaching staffs of future opponents as well.
Kiffin confirmed following practice Thursday that the Trojans’ football home, the Coliseum, would no longer be available for opposing teams to use for walk-throughs prior to games (it’s unclear if adult films would fall under the same umbrella). As if sensing the future stink he was currently stepping in, Kiffin downplayed the move, calling it “no big deal” as the Trojans don’t go through on-field walk-throughs when they go on the road.
The main reason, however, for the banning of walk-throughs, Kiffin said, is preserving the Coliseum turf.
“We put a lot of resources into that field and what I’m hoping is that our fans are going to see the best that field has ever looked,” Kiffin said according to the Los Angeles Times. “The problem with walk-throughs ... you tear it up because people put cleats on and go on there.”
Seeing as USC held a mock game last week on a practice field instead of at the Coliseum, that line of reasoning actually holds some water.
Kiffin went on to add that USC is not the only school that’s banned pregame walk-throughs, although he refused to get into specifics. While we won’t get into any specifics either, we reached out to more than two dozen FBS schools from across the country and received a response from 21 of them; all 21 permit opponent walk-throughs.
Just sayin’.