The USC Trojans faced severe disciplinary actions for 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" from the NCAA, (h/t Bleacher Report).

Riley's response was minimal.

"Yeah, (Jennifer Cohen) made a statement. Honestly, don't really have anything to add," Riley said to the media (h/t Rival Network's Ryan Young). "I mean, we've had that behind us now for months and have been passing. I know the way that these things work in this world, this announcements aren't able to come out, but honestly, it's something I'd love to be able to discuss more and go into, but we got way more important things than that right now in this team, ready for this game."

"I think one of the challenges that we all face is you could work at 100 different institutions, and then the definition of all that, how it's interpreted, is going to be different, 100 different places. And so, I mean, I think you see what the level of penalties that were, that were levied. I mean, in this day and age, they are the head coach responsibility thing that really it's a big deal, and we get it if it's something very serious and I'm suspended for it," the Trojans head coach added.

USC is fined $50,000 and a year of probation.

Other than that, the full list of penalties includes 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.

The Trojans also self-imposed a reduction in countable athletically related activities by 24 hours during the 2023-24 season in the wake of the violations.

Riley was not fined with a suspension since it "was not appropriate", because, per NCAA notes, some violations took place before a rules change in January 2023 that shifted head coach responsibility rules "rebuttable presumption to automatic attachment."

Riley was not directly and personally involved with the violations, and "he promoted an atmosphere of compliance and monitored his staff."

All these allegations will negatively affect USC's chase of top recruits, possibly resulting in a loss of their current commits too.

USC is currently 4-5 overall, 2-4 in conference, and faces Nebraska next on Saturday.