USC Football (Finally) Surrenders In NCAA Investigation

Three months after the NCAA denies the USC Trojans' appeal of their penalties for the Reggie Bush affair and basketball misdeeds, school officials are crying uncle. USC president Max Nikias said Wednesday that the school was giving up any further efforts to fight the penalties.

"I have determined that the university's mission is best served by moving forward at this time, without pursuing further redress," Nikias said in a statement. "This decision followed an extensive review of all of our options and after consultation with many sources."

It's not entirely clear what other "options" USC had, given that the NCAA (again) had already denied their appeal. Of course, there's the question of how the NCAA is going to make all this appear fair in the eyes of even non-USC football fans when they punish Miami, short of shooting the Shalalabird out of the sky.

But we can now officially put the USC investigation story to bed. The effects will linger, but the fight is over.

For more on this and other USC stories, visit our USC Trojans blog, Conquest Chronicles, and SB Nation Los Angeles.