Apparently paying players is worse than taking tests for them

Remember when you read the penalties for USC they are actually worse than the sounds, and they don't sound very good.

No one cares about vacating wins (which is the dumbest penalty ever) and the lose of a post-season play isn't that big of deal either, b/c winning championships isn't as important to players as it is to the fans. The big penalty here is the 15/75 penalty.

What this means that USC can offer no more than 15 scholarships for the next 3 years and at no point during that 3 year period can there be more than 75 players on scholarship. Let's examine this closer with numbers. For argument's sake say the USC football roster is broken down as follows:

20 seniors
20 juniors
20 sophomores
25 freshman

85 total players on scholarship

After this season USC will graduate those 20 seniors and be left with a maximum of 65 players on scholarship. I say maximum b/c typically a school loses 4-6 non-graduating players a year to either the pros or transfers. But for this discussion we will say there is no attrition at USC after the 2010 season.

With a roster of 65 scholarship players, USC would not be allowed to sign more than 10 players on signing day 2011. Bringing the roster back to 75.

After the 2011 season, USC would graduate another 20 players (still using the numbers from above). At that point they would have 55 scholarship players. So on signing day 2012, USC would be limited to 15 players. Bringing the roster to 70.

Finally after the 2012 season, USC would graduate another 20 players, leaving 50 players on scholarship. Once again USC is limited to signing 15 players on signing day 2013, which would bring the roster to 65.

The numbers are far worse if you add in the likely attrition of non-graduating players.