USC Executive Director of Personnel Max Stienecker punished for Wisconsin infractions

Not to make every situation about how the NCAA punished USC during the Pete Carroll era, but it is something of a wonder as to what would happen if the Trojans were caught in similar situations to those of others.

In the latest news, Wisconsin received a Level II infraction, as reported by Badger Extra, for making phone calls to recruits during a time when they were not allowed to under the rules at the time. According to the report, the Badgers' staff made well over 100 calls to recruits before the first date that they would have been permitted to do so in 2023.

At the time, the current USC Executive Director of Personnel, Max Stienecker, was the director of player personnel before being promoted to general manager in 2024. His involvement, based on the report, included 19 calls that were deemed an NCAA infraction at the time.

For his past transgressions, Stienecker will not be allowed to engage in any recruiting-relation communication from Sunday, June 15, to Saturday, June 21. That, along with a one-year show-cause, will affect the current Trojan staff member for his involvement from his prior collegiate stop.

The others who were involved met a similar fate. Wisconsin will also be forced to pay a $25,000 fine. Although it must be stated that the harshest sentence was reserved for coach Greg Scruggs. His punishment was a two-month communication ban, as well as a single regular-season game suspension. That will probably not affect him too much, however, seeing as he is currently on the San Francisco 49ers staff.

NCAA would not show this level of leniency if USC was involved

In any event, it is hard to imagine the same entity extending USC the same type of leniency had it been found that they made calls that were not allowed in the triple digits. Certainly, a coach's recruiting efforts are a year-round, ongoing push. 

To restrict these efforts for a week when a program can afford to lose this ability is not a likely result that would have been granted for the Trojans. History has shown that the NCAA would have enjoyed the chance to make a further example out of the USC program.