Tennis team wins Pac-10 title — in 2008
Photo courtesy of USC Sports Information More to cheer about · Only a week after winning the national championship, the Trojans are awarded the 2008 Pac-10 championship. Photo courtesy of USC Sports Information
The USC men’s tennis team was declared the 2008 Pac-10 champions Tuesday, May 29, after the Pac-10 Conference stripped the UCLA men’s tennis team of the title for allowing an ineligible player to compete during the 2008 season.
UCLA was required to forfeit all singles and doubles matches in which the ineligible athlete participated. After the results of each conference match were recalculated, the outcomes of two matches were reversed. Both USC and Arizona State were awarded victories for their matches against UCLA in April of 2008.
The two losses changed the Bruins’ previously undefeated 7-0 conference record to 5-2. The Trojans, who had been 6-1 before the outcome of their match with UCLA was reversed, are now 7-0 and have been declared conference champions.
UCLA self-reported the incident.
The implicated athlete received money that was paid up-front from an employer to pay for student fees. Once the compliance learned the money was paid up-front, it reported the incident to NCAAs and the Pac-10.
The athlete was cleared by the NCAA to participate in the 2009 season so long as he paid a portion of the fee amount to charity. During the 2009 season, however, the Pac-10 completed a separated evaluation of the incident and chose to strip the Bruins of their 2008 Pac-10 title.