The Big Ten began mandating player injury reports ahead of the 2023 season as a response to concerns over integrity, especially in the wake of potentially compromising sports betting activity. This weekend, USC fell afoul of the conference’s rules around injury reports. And the Big Ten dropped the hammer.
To the tune of $5,000.
In their 34-13 victory over Michigan, USC faced a depth chart issue at running back, where they have had their fair share of injuries this season. Sophomore back Bryan Jackson played in only his second game of the season, seeing five carries for 35 yards, including a 29 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. He hadn’t played since the season opener against Missouri State because of a turf toe injury.
However, Jackson was not supposed to play as he was designated as “out” before the game on USC’s official injury report.
“Although these circumstances were unfortunate, it is critical for availability reports to be accurate,” a Big Ten spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times. “Consequently, the conference is imposing a $5,000 fine and admonishes all institutions to use the “out” designation only if there are no circumstances under which a student-athlete could participate in a game. The conference considers the matter closed and will have no further comment.”
After the Michigan game, USC head coach Lincoln Riley said it was a “wellness issue” and that the program cleared Jackson suiting up for the second half with the Big Ten. He also stated that Jackson was medically cleared by USC to play in the game in spite of his injury status.
It’s a totally bizarre situation on multiple fronts. Why was Bryan Jackson declared out for the game if USC had injuries at the position and he was medically cleared? It wouldn’t seem to benefit USC as a competitive advantage to declare him out for the game and then trick Michigan into working him into the game plan.
Furthermore, how is the fine from the Big Ten a paltry $5,000? Considering the league is looking at billions of dollars in television revenue and perhaps even billions more in private equity, this isn’t even a drop in the bucket. It would be couch change in James Franklin’s buyout. And it makes a bit of a mockery out of the league’s mandated injury reports.
This year is the first that every power conference has mandated injury reports, which has been commonplace in pro leagues mainly to the benefit of transparency and sports betting. If the Big Ten and other Power 4 leagues are really concerned about transparency and injuries needing to be made public to counteract any nefarious activity hidden from the public eye, a $5,000 fine isn’t really the way to seriously enforce it.
About Matt Yoder