Posted at 12:57 a.m., Saturday, January 26, 2008
CBKB: NCAA says Mayo violated rule, won't miss games
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Southern California freshman O.J. Mayo violated an NCAA rule by accepting free tickets from Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony to an NBA game, but his punishment won't include missing games.University officials said yesterday they have been informed by the NCAA that Mayo committed a violation and must contribute $460 — the total value of the two tickets — to a charitable organization. USC said in a release the NCAA restored Mayo's eligibility after he and his family donated the money, making him available for today's game against Oregon.
"I'm glad this is over with now," Mayo said in a statement. "It was an eye-opening process. I have tried to be very careful when any potential NCAA issues are involved ever since I arrived at USC."
Mayo received the tickets from Anthony to Monday night's game between the Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers. Mayo, averaging a team-leading 19.7 points and 4.6 rebounds, said Anthony made the offer of tickets at a party he hosted Sunday night.
An NCAA bylaw states that student-athletes may not receive "free or reduced-cost admission to professional athletics contests from professional sports organizations, unless such services also are available to the student body in general."
Coach Tim Floyd took some of the blame, saying he told Mayo he could attend the game because Anthony was a friend of Mayo's.
"We are happy with the outcome of this situation and are glad we can put this behind us," Floyd said. "I feel bad that I gave O.J. some incorrect advice. We all learned some lessons through this process."
