USC AD Pat Haden offers up his thoughts on agents paying players...
"This is another example of the insidiousness of unscrupulous agents and why it is important that USC and all schools be especially vigilant to the misdeeds of outsiders."
"At USC, in light of the NCAA penalties we've received due to the Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo situations, we have already stepped up our NCAA compliance efforts drastically in terms of education and enforcement, and we plan to continue to strengthen those efforts."
Haden goes on to say that USC will take a leadership role in working with the NCAA to address the issue.
Look, the horse has already left the barn, I understand that USC has to play they game as they work on their appeal to reduce the sanctions but until the NCAA works hand in hand with their member institutions instead of laying out vague guidelines while at the same time being antagonistic towards member institutions who get caught in the crossfire I don't see much changing.
The NCAA up to this point hasn't been willing to take on the various pro leagues and the predatory agents that represent their members to protect their brand so what makes you think they are going to start today. Heck Lloyd Lake and Michael Michaels aren't even real agents so outside of suing them how do you attack this?
I am not even going to talk about the NCAA's own culpability in their shoddy handling of this case to make it stick against 'SC. That is a whole other nightmare.
There are laws on the books in numerous states that are hardly if ever in enforced...so to me schools are pretty powerless to address the goings on away from their property.
It is certainly one thing to punish 'SC for the various lapses in compliance sighted in the report and 'SC is culpable there, but until the players and agents who are at the root of the problem are punished this is window dressing in my eyes but I understand why Haden is saying what he has to say.
Anyway, just a few thoughts...