Southern California’s football program has been fined $50,000 and placed on probation for one year by the NCAA because of multiple violations of coaching staff rules over two seasons.

The NCAA and USC announced Tuesday they reached a settlement in the case.

An NCAA investigation found that USC exceeded the allowed number of countable coaches during the 2022 season along with spring practices in 2023. Eight analysts did on- and off-field coaching during that period, exceeding the permissible number by six.

Both parties also agreed that Lincoln Riley violated head coach responsibility rules but that he would not be suspended.

The NCAA changed its rules restricting the number of coaches and their duties in January 2023. At the same time, head coach responsibilities were shifted from a rebuttable presumption to an automatic attachment.

“Because Riley was not personally involved in the violations and demonstrated that he promoted an atmosphere of compliance and monitored his staff, Riley rebutted his presumed responsibility for the violations occurring before the rules change. For the same reasons, the parties also agreed that a suspension penalty for Riley was not appropriate,” the NCAA said in a news release announcing the settlement.

The NCAA also restricted USC from having its special teams analyst in practice and film review for six consecutive days during two weeks of the 2024-25 season. The remaining analysts will be restricted from practice and film review for six consecutive days during four weeks of the 2024-25 season.

Oregon tops CFP bracket, Georgia drops out >> Undefeated Oregon stayed on top in the second batch of College Football Playoff rankings, while the poll shoved Georgia completely out of the bracket after its lopsided loss to Mississippi.

Led by the Ducks, then Ohio State, the Big Ten captured four of the top five spots — a string interrupted only by Texas of the Southeastern Conference, which was slotted in at No. 3 and would receive a first-round bye.

Georgia’s 28-10 loss to Ole Miss dropped the Bulldogs from third to all the way to 12th, but they would be the first team out because No. 13 Boise State of the Mountain West would receive an automatic bid and the final spot in the 12-team bracket as the fifth-best conference champion.

BYU was ranked sixth, but would receive a first-round bye as the Big 12’s champion if it wins out.

Those byes go to the four highest-ranked conference champions, meaning Miami of the ACC would get a week off in this week’s version of the bracket.

The other ranked teams: No. 4 Penn State, No. 5 Indiana, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 10 Alabama and No. 11 Ole Miss.

Ex-Notre Dame coach Faust dies at 89 >> Gerry Faust, the gravel-voiced Cincinnati high school coach who lived a dream by becoming the coach at Notre Dame, has died. He was 89.

Notre Dame said in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday that the family confirmed Faust’s death. No details were immediately provided.

Faust guided the Fighting Irish from 1981 through 1985, compiling a record of 30-26-1. He succeeded Dan Devine as coach of Notre Dame and preceded Lou Holtz.

He spent the next nine seasons as the head coach at the University of Akron, bringing the program from Division II to major-college status. His record was 43-53-3 with the Zips.

Tennis

Sinner beats Fritz again in ATP Finals >> Top-ranked Jannik Sinner made it two wins in two matches before his home fans at the ATP Finals, beating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in Turin, Italy in a rematch of the U.S. Open final that the Italian also won in straight sets.

Sinner, who beat Alex de Minaur in his opening match at the season-ending event for the top eight players, improved to 23-1 in his last five tournaments.

Earlier, Daniil Medvedev moved back into contention with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over De Minaur, who lost both of his opening matches in his first trip to Finals.

Sinner leads the group while Fritz and Medvedev are next with one win each.

The top two finishers from each round-robin group advance to the semifinals.

On Thursday, Medvedev faces Sinner and De Minaur plays Fritz in the final matches of the group.

In the other group on Monday, Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud beat Andrey Rublev and Carlos Alcaraz, respectively.

Women’s soccer

Santa Clara opens NCAAs against BYU >> Santa Clara is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the 34th time in program history, third-most in the sport’s history.

Santa Clara, which clinched the West Coast Conference title Sunday and the accompanying automatic NCAA berth, will face former WCC foe BYU in a first-round match Friday in Provo, Utah at 5 p.m. PT.

Friday’s Santa Clara-BYU winner will advance to the second round next week against Friday’s winner of No. 1 North Carolina vs. USC Upstate.

Canada’s coach fired after review of scandal >> Canada women’s coach Bev Priestman, suspended following a drone surveillance scandal at the Paris Olympics, was fired following an independent review.

Assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi were also fired as Canada Soccer released findings of the investigation.

Men’s soccer

MLS player Angulo dies at 22 >> Ecuador and FC Cincinnati player Marco Angulo has died from his injuries sustained in a car crash in Quito, Ecuador that also killed his former youth team teammate Roberto Cabezas, the Ecuadorian Football Association said.

The 22-year-old Angulo was a passenger in the car that crashed into a metal barrier on the Rumiñahui highway southeast of Quito on Oct. 7. The driver and Cabezas, who played for Independiente Juniors, were killed in the incident.

Angulo played for Ecuadorian league champion L.D.U. Quito on loan from MLS team FC Cincinnati.