Max Nikias made the call and it is final...
"I have determined that the university's mission is best served by moving forward at this time, without pursuing further redress," says USC President C. L. Max Nikias.
"This decision followed an extensive review of all of our options and after consultation with many sources. We ask that the Trojan Family offer its utmost support to the student-athletes and coaches of the Trojan football team, confident that USC's commitment to the highest level of excellence in academics and athletics will not waver in the coming years."
Yeah...not really surprising, (I laid the argument out here and I stand by it still today).
I really didn't care if USC sued. Their chances of relief were slim. What really steamed me was the lack of a PR campaign...something, anything.
Even today...
Nikias as a university president is THE person to go Emmert and say whats up?
Nikias can also be THE person to lead the charge to force change but he is going to have to get his hands dirty and as I have said before that is not something he is comfortable with.
Getting his hands dirty means calling people out.
Yes, I know that back room diplomacy leaves a better impression so that things don't become adversarial...but the NCAA won't change a thing, no matter how diplomatic Nikias is.
In light of the Miami Scandal that Paul Dee was very much a part of as well as his hypocrisy that was exposed, Mark Emmert won't publish a statement saying the NCAA was wrong or that they are sorry...and they sure as heck won't back off the sanctions.
Today's news is merely a rubber stamp of what he already knew...