USC’s saga reached its climax on a tumultuous day in college athletics, when Colorado’s defection to the Pac-10 from the Big 12 provided the first steps in what could be a radical nationwide conference realignment threatening to change the nature of amateur sports.

USC had long been known for its lenient admission policy at football practices, which during Carroll’s tenure were open to almost anybody from movie stars to regular fans.

Although Kiffin tightened the rules shortly after taking over, the NCAA also prohibited all non-university personnel, except media and a few others, from attending practices and camps — or even standing on the sidelines during games, a favorite pastime of Will Ferrell and other wealthy USC alumni.

The Trojans barely avoided further punishment that would have removed one of the sport’s most popular teams from television. The committee discussed a TV ban, but decided the penalties handed down “adequately respond to the nature of violations and the level of institutional responsibility.”

USC is the first Football Bowl Subdivision school to be banned from postseason play since Alabama served a two-year ban ending in 2003. The NCAA issued no bowl bans during the tenure of late president Myles Brand, but the NCAA reportedly regained interest in the punishment over the past year.

The Trojans have been under suspicion for years. The NCAA, the Pac-10 and even the FBI conducted investigations into the Bush family’s business relationships and USC’s responsibility for the culture around its marquee football team.

USC officials including Garrett and Kiffin appeared before the NCAA infractions committee in February to argue the school’s ignorance of Bush’s dealings.

The report also criticized “an assistant football coach” known to be running backs coach Todd McNair, putting him on a one-year “show-cause penalty” prohibiting him from recruiting, among other sanctions.

The NCAA condemned McNair’s professed ignorance of Bush’s dealings with sports marketers Lloyd Lake and Michael Michaels. Each sued Bush in attempts to recoup nearly $300,000 in cash and gifts they say were accepted by Bush’s family during his career with the Trojans while they attempted to sign him as their company’s first client.

“I know they did a very, very thorough investigation,” said Brian Watkins, a San Diego attorney who represented Lake in a lawsuit against Bush. “It surely wasn’t a rush to justice.”

Watkins said he spoke with Lake after the sanctions were announced.

“He was sad. He wished that wouldn’t have happened,” Watkins said.

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