USC Stripped Of 2004 National Title
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The Bowl Championship Series stripped USC of its 2004 national title Monday, 11 days after the school’s appeal of sanctions stemming from the ineligibility of former tailback Reggie Bush was denied by the NCAA.
The crystal trophy has already been removed from USC's Heritage Hall. (Creative Commons)
The ruling vacates the results of the 2005 Orange Bowl, the 2004 national title game in which USC defeated Oklahoma 55-19, as well as the 2006 Rose Bowl, in which the Trojans were upended by Texas 41-38 in the final minutes.
"The BCS arrangement crowns a national champion, and the BCS games are showcase events for post-season football," BCS executive director Bill Hancock said in a statement. "One of the best ways of ensuring that they remain so is for us to foster full compliance with NCAA rules. Accordingly, in keeping with the NCAA's recent action, USC's appearances are being vacated.”
As a result, there will no BCS champion for the 2004-2005 season.
"This action reflects the scope of the BCS arrangement and is consistent with the NCAA's approach when it subsequently discovers infractions by institutions whose teams have played in NCAA championship events,” Hancock said.
Last June, the NCAA penalized USC for a “lack of institutional control” following a four-year investigation of the men’s basketball, football and women’s tennis programs, eventually determining that Bush, along with basketball star O.J. Mayo, had received improper benefits from potential sports marketers while enrolled in school.
USC was subsequently placed on a four-year probation, and forced to vacate victories in both football and basketball in addition to a two-year postseason bowl ban and a loss of 30 football scholarships.
The BCS, which remains a separate entity from the NCAA, decided to wait until USC’s appeal process was completed before rendering a final decision regarding the 2004 title.
"The BCS alerted us today that their presidents have voted to vacate USC's 2005 BCS Championship Game victory,” USC Athletic Director Pat Haden said. “This was not an unexpected outcome. We will comply with all requirements mandated by the result of this BCS vote."
USC will still keep its Associated Press national championship, as the AP announced last year that the school would not be forced to relinquish its title.
This is the first time that a school has been give up a BCS title.
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