A Los Angeles Times investigation released Tuesday found USC offered an alternative admission path for wealthy applicants with a significantly higher acceptance rate from 2008 to 2018.

The report found an 85 to 90% acceptance rate for the children of wealthy individuals through a “walk-on” path intended for the use of student-athletes, with an expectation of receiving donations. The overall acceptance rate for Fall 2018 was 13%.

In a statement to the Daily Trojan, the University said a limited number of employees in the Athletics department were involved in the “fraud” and that they are no longer with USC.

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“For many years now, we have had in place numerous best-in-class controls — including multiple levels of applicant review, head coach certifications, undergraduate applicant attestations, compliance controls and regular audits,” the University wrote. 

In its statement, the University said it took “immediate and decisive steps” to respond after the Varsity Blues scandal — where a college counselor helped applicants lie to get into USC and other universities — became public in 2019. However, the L.A. Times investigation found the University continued efforts to hide details of the scandal through at least 2022.

While many of the wealthy students admitted through the “walk-on” path did play their respective sports in high school, they did not play at the level expected of USC athletes — and often never played for USC once admitted, the article claimed.

The son of multibillionaire Sarath Ratanavadi was labeled as a “mediocre” student by an admissions officer, according to the investigation. However, after Ratanavadi donated $3 million to the golf team, Ratanavadi was admitted as a walk-on.

“I don’t think there is any way [Ratanavadi] will contribute to us winning or losing,” the USC men’s golf coach at the time, Chris Zambri, wrote in an email to a colleague which was obtained by the L.A. Times.

Despite that, once former Athletic Director Pat Haden learned about his academic record, he wrote, in an email obtained by the L.A. Times to former senior associate Athletic Director Donna Heinel, “Crap…got to get the Thai kid in.”

The report said administrators became “enraged” when wealthy parents of walk-on students did not donate

A member of the Spanos family, who own the NFL’s L.A. Chargers, was admitted as a golf walk-on. According to a USC fundraising proposal obtained by the L.A. Times, a $5 million gift from the family was expected to admit the applicant who had an “undistinguished” high school golf career.

When no gift came, Ronald Orr, then-head of athletic department fundraising, wrote in an email, obtained by the L.A. Times, “Geez they like to make people dance.”

Zachary Whalen contributed to this report.