USC Football Placed on Probation for NCAA Violations; Lincoln Riley Avoids Suspension

The NCAA has placed USC's football program on probation for a violation of rules between 2022 and 2023.

In a release issued on Tuesday (h/t Connor Morrissette of 247Sports.com), the discipline stems from a violation of "on- and off-field coaching activities" during the spring of 2022, fall of 2022 and spring of 2023 resulting in the program "exceeding the permissible number of countable coaches by six for two academic years."

USC was also fined $50,000.

The NCAA release notes that USC head coach Lincoln Riley violated head coach responsibility rules, but it was determined suspending him "was not appropriate" because some of the violations occurred before a rules change in January 2023 that shifted head coach responsibility rules "rebuttable presumption to automatic attachment."

Eight different analysts for the Trojans' football program engaged in the activities. It was also determined that Riley was not personally involved in the violations and promoted an atmosphere of compliance and monitored his staff.

The full list of penalties for USC includes one year of probation; a fine; restriction for the special teams analyst from practice and film review for six consecutive days during two weeks of the 2024-25 season; and restriction for the remaining analysts from practice and film review for six consecutive days during four weeks of the 2024-25 season.

USC self-imposed a reduction in countable athletically related activities for the football program by 24 hours during the 2023-24 season after being made aware of the violations.

Riley is in his third season as Trojans head coach. They have a 4-5 record this year in their first season playing in the Big Ten. He has a 23-13 overall record at USC since 2022.