USC Stripped of 2004 National Championship
The University of Southern California has been part of some amazing history in the annals of college football, but its most recent accomplishment is nothing to be proud of.
The school has been stripped of its 2004 national championship, the Bowl Championship Series announced Monday, in a move directly tied to star running back Reggie Bush playing while ineligible.
Bush had his 2005 Heisman Trophy taken away last year after the NCAA ruled he had been ineligible by receiving improper benefits. He was the first and only player to have his Heisman vacated.
USC had defeated Oklahoma, 55-19, in the 2005 Orange Bowl to claim the national title. The Trojans' appearance in the Orange Bowl the following season is also being vacated. In that game, USC lost to the University of Texas in the national championship.
BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock released a statement about the decision, saying, "The BCS arrangement crowns a national champion, and the BCS games are showcase events for post-season football. 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."
This marks the first time a major college program has had a title removed in either football or men's basketball.