USC will not appeal further to the NCAA after its Jan. 22 hearing


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USC athletic director Pat Haden resoundingly ended a few circulating rumors today concerning the university’s upcoming appeal to the NCAA. While reports last week from uscfootball.com stated that USC would sue the NCAA and appeal further after the Jan. 22 hearing, Haden refused to give those statements any validity.

“This is it,” Haden said. “There is no appeal after this. This is the final frontier.”

When USC sits before an NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee in 10 days, it hopes to cut down the sanctions currently imposed on the football program by half.  Currently the sanctions include a two-year bowl ban and the loss of 30 scholarships.

According to Haden, who spoke at the ground breaking of the new athletic complex today, the recent NCAA cases concerning Auburn and Ohio State have no relation to USC and its case with the NCAA. He made clear his belief that those decisions will not affect the final decision to be made concerning USC.

“A lot of people say it’s going to help you – I don’t think so,” Haden said. “I don’t think it helps or hurts us; I think it’s irrelevant.”