• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 5, 2025

According to USC, There Are No Athletic Department Rules for Players

  • During an athlete-employment trial, three officials testified that neither teams nor the athletic department have or enforce rules.
  • Instead they have verbal “expectations,” for which athletes face “accountability activities.”
Dec 27, 2023; San Diego, CA, USA; USC Trojans players celebrate after a turnover against the Louisville Cardinals during the second half at Petco Park.
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

There are no rules for athletes in USC’s athletic department. That’s according to three USC athletic department officials who testified during a labor trial over college athlete employment status this week.

They said there’s neither an enforceable Student-Athlete Handbook nor an athlete social media policy, that nothing is mandatory, and that unlike every other athletic department, USC athletics is, for players, a free-for-all.

The National Labor Relations Board case, for which a trial is ongoing, is examining the question of whether USC football and basketball players should be considered employees of the school, the school’s conference, and the NCAA. The original complaint was filed by an advocacy group called the National College Players Association and has been taken up by the NLRB. If the NCPA wins, amateurism could be killed altogether. 

The three witnesses, Denise Kwok, Ryan Cohan, and Paul Perrier, were subpoenaed by the NLRB’s lawyers to testify as to whether the relationship between USC and players looks like an employment model. One of the central questions was control—the athlete side wanted to prove that the school exerted strict control over players, while USC attempted to show that players were treated like they engaged in “extracurricular” activities, rather than jobs.

Two former USC football players had previously testified that the school exercises strict control over players, from 60-hour-per-week training camps to set meal times and weekly hydration tests—all of which they understood to be mandatory. But the three athletic department officials said nothing was required.

Perrier, USC’s executive senior associate AD, testified that the men’s basketball team previously had “rules” but now only has “expectations.” Cohan, USC’s assistant AD for women’s basketball operations, echoed that testimony for the women’s basketball team, to which the NLRB’s lawyer replied by asking whether USC as a whole “prefers” the term “expectations.” Cohan said yes. The expectations, they said, were not written anywhere. Cohan even said he didn’t know how players were made aware of them. 

Among the activities Perrier and Cohan claimed were just suggestions: team meals, study halls, summer training camps, and physical therapy. So what happens if a player fails to meet one of these nebulous expectations? According to Perrier, they would not face punishments—just “accountability activities.”

The alleged trend extends beyond just football and basketball. Kwok, deputy AD and former interim AD, testified that the athletic department has neither a Student-Athlete Handbook nor a social media policy—despite those documents being ubiquitous throughout college sports. When presented with a publicly available copy of a 2021-22 USC Student-Athlete Handbook, Kwok claimed that the handbook had been published in error and was never used or enforced. 

This pattern of denying any sort of control is likely to continue next week, when USC begins calling its own friendly witnesses to testify to the legality of amateurism. By then, the NLRB will have concluded its case: that players are professionals under U.S. labor law.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
Bill Ackman
exclusive

Billionaire Bill Ackman Prepares for ‘Once in a Lifetime’ Tennis Match in..

Ackman says he’s “peaking next week” at the Hall of Fame Open.

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.

Hot Dog Maven George Shea on Chestnut Comeback and Investor Interest

George Shea runs a real estate PR firm and Major League Eating.

Featured Today

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”
June 29, 2025

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.

Everything You Need to Know About EA’s Return to College Basketball Video..

There hasn’t been a college basketball game in more than 15 years.
July 1, 2025

Big Ten Commish Still Pushes for 4 Auto CFP Bids in 16-Team..

The conference wants four guaranteed spots in the Playoff.
Ohio State
July 1, 2025

Collectives Funnel $20 Million to College Athletes on Last Day Before Revenue..

Collectives frontloaded payments just before the revenue sharing era begins July 1.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 30, 2025

College Sports Revenue-Sharing Underway As More Changes Loom

July 1 marks the first day schools can directly pay players.
June 30, 2025

Pac-12 Hits Football Membership Threshold With Texas State Entry

The school is paying $5 million to leave the Sun Belt Conference.
Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Baylor Bears guard Jeremy Roach (3) reacts after a play during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center.
June 26, 2025

Power Four Put Finishing Touches on How Revenue Sharing Era Will Work

The agreement stipulates that schools can’t sue to challenge any terms of the settlement.
June 26, 2025

Pac-12 Rebuild Nears Completion With 2026 Texas State Addition

The Sun Belt school is likely joining the Pac-12 in 2026.