Biased treatment against USC shows need for program to put pressure on NCAA

There is not a single USC fan out there who is bothered over certain players receiving their eligibility for an extra year from the NCAA. Lately, West Virginia has been the beneficiary of a recent court ruling. Now, as reported by CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, Rahsul Faison is also going to be able to suit up for his new team this fall.

Again, the issue is not that these student-athletes will be able to play; it is the unequal nature in which sometimes a player will be told that he will be allowed to play while others, like DJ Wingfield, have a long drawn-out process end in their inability to be a part of the team with so little time before the season itself is slated to begin.

Faison will be able to help out South Carolina. This comes after spending the 2019 season at Marshall and 2020 with Lackawanna College, though he did not play in any games. He then transferred to Snow College, which is a junior college. 2023 and 2024 saw the running back at Utah State. His senior year his play earned him conference honors.

Unequal application of rules working against USC

For anyone keeping track, that is certainly more than a five-year span. This exact aspect is what the NCAA is fighting throughout the country and what is ultimately not going to allow Wingfield to play for the Trojans this year. Notice, however, that certain players, even while needing a seventh year, are able to get through the process with the NCAA granting them the sought-after year of eligibility.

This is beyond unfair for the Trojan program and for Wingfield especially. USC should seriously consider raising a fuss and making the NCAA uncomfortable with how it has handled this process. There is nothing to lose, really, as the institution has an inherent bias against USC anyway; the Trojans might as well try to force the NCAA's hand here.