Here’s my take on why USC has taken longer than we would’ve liked to adapt to the NIL era. For years, USC had a recruiting advantage: elite academics, a trendy and vibrant culture, a prime location in the heart of Los Angeles, and being the only major California school truly committed to football. Pair that with 12 national championships, 8 Heisman winners, and proximity to a talent-rich region, and the program thrived on those advantages.
However, it took time to realize that the traditional strengths we relied on are now secondary to NIL. The reality is, NIL bags have become the most critical factor in modern recruiting.
In addition, SC is concerned about breaking any rules. The original intent behind NIL was not “Pay for Play,” and our initial NIL strategy adhered closely to that principle. Given past experiences, USC will not use a “beg for forgiveness” approach.
That said, we now fully recognize that Pay for Play is not only widespread but entirely within the rules. USC has made adjustments to align with this reality, as reflected in recent hires focused on building an aggressive NIL strategy. Our alumni base has already demonstrated its generosity. This was evident in the $6 billion campaign that transformed the university and its surrounding areas, including University Village.
The big question now is whether USC donors are willing to channel that same level of financial support into unproven high school recruits or one-year transfers. Only time will tell.
11 ncs. baseball has 12.
I believe at one time the USC Administration was convince that a de-emphasis on football was needed and a re-emphasis on growing the campus and an infusion of a global communty into the university and their cash flow from it was necessary. Add to that bad judgement in hiring and leadership into that equation and you create a situation where the footbll program lost a leadership position in the administration...
Yes, all that has played a part. On the field I think Riley has been a little stubborn to make needed changes, especially on defense. Caleb painted over all of that with his play in the first year and a half. But the fissures were there from the beginning.
That's a cute theory. Here's the reality. SC alums don't give a shit about SC football. The care about curry and kung pow. The rich white alums are busy pretending to be LA cool and are banging D list hollywood skank. The 50k fans that care every week are too poor.