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Report: NCAA Denies USC's Request For Sanction Reductions

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The NCAA Friday turned down the University of Southern California's request to have sanctions against the school's football program reduced, ESPN.com reported.

USC Athletic Director Pat Haden, along with other university officials, traveled to Indianapolis this week to talk with the governing board about a variety of topics, including the potential for sanction reductions following the NCAA's Sept. 24 decision to lessen penalties against Penn State stemming from the Jerry Sandusky child-sex abuse scandal.

USC's  2010 sanctions stemmed from "agent and amateurism violations for a former football student-athlete [Reggie Bush] and a former men's basketball student-athlete [O.J. Mayo]," the NCAA said.

The Trojans were penalized with a two-year bowl ban in addition to two years of scholarship reductions. The 2014 season will be the final year under the 75-player roster limit.

"After learning of the NCAA's actions on Tuesday (Sept. 24) regarding Penn State and the lessening of the sanctions that were imposed on that institution, when viewed in the context of the events that have shaken intercollegiate athletics over the past year, we felt compelled to discuss USC's sanctions in a new light.  As I have stated on numerous occasions, I believe the penalties imposed on our football program in 2010 were unprecedented and inconsistent with NCAA precedent in prior cases.  I also believe the sanctions have resulted in unintended consequences both for our football program and our student-athletes.  Although the sanctions reduced our total football scholarship limit to 75 (down from 85), attrition resulting from injuries and transfers has resulted in less than 60 recruited scholarship student-athletes suiting up for our games.  The current situation is certainly not what was envisioned, nor is it in the best interests of our student-athletes' welfare," Haden wrote in a statement posted on USCTrojans.com.

On Friday, the NCAA shot down Haden's request and issued the following statement to ESPN.

"There is no comparison between USC and Penn State," the NCAA said. "USC's appeal was denied, and there is no further consideration being given."

It was unclear why the sanctions were not reduced given USC's violations did not involve a criminal matter, unlike Penn State.

The Trojans had previously asked the NCAA to rethink the sanctions through an appeals process, which it denied in May 2011, stating: "The findings in this case include a lack of institutional control, impermissible inducements, extra benefits and exceeding coaching staff limits."

USC has yet to comment on the matter.

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