Dillon Baxter could be reinstated by USC after paying for value of golf-cart ride

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Dave Roberts, USC’s vice president for compliance, just met with reporters in the press box here in Corvallis, Ore., and said that he expected suspended tailback Dillon Baxter would be reinstated after he repays the value of a golf-cart ride on campus.

Baxter did not make the trip to play against Oregon State today after school officials discovered that he had accepted a ride from other USC students, one of whom Roberts said is a registered financial advisor with the NFL Players Assn.

Roberts said that a USC compliance director saw Baxter riding on a cart that had a logo for 1st Round Enterprises “plastered across the front.” Roberts said Teague Egan, who is listed as the chairman and chief executive of the company, was a USC student.

“I believe they hold themselves out as people who want to be in the business of representing athletes with professional sports teams,” Roberts said. “Obviously the sports representation is one that’s problematic for us.”

The 1st Round Enterprises website also lists former USC linebacker Jordan Campell as a company executive. Campbell left USC last summer for Louisville after the NCAA handed down sanctions earlier this year that included a two-year bowl ban. The penalty included an exemption that allowed juniors and seniors to transfer without having to sit out a season.

Roberts said Campbell was sitting out at Louisville, but that USC had notified the school about the situation.

Roberts said Baxter told USC officials that he knew the students who gave him a ride.

“He’s telling us that he did not understand that . . . at least one of them was a person registered with the NFLPA,” Roberts said.

Baxter was late for and did not participate in practice Thursday after being hospitalized for an unspecified illness and dehydration.

“I think he went to student health center that day,” Roberts said. “I do believe the facts were he wasn’t feeling well and that’s one reason why he asked these people to give him a ride over. So my understanding is Dillon’s view of it was he was asking for a ride from some friends.”

USC is also investigating whether other players have had contact with Egan.

“We’ll be covering all the corners and making sure that we’re satisfied that we’ve identified any and all contacts this guy’s had,” Roberts said.

Roberts said NCAA precedent probably will require Baxter to make a charitable contribution in the value of the ride, after which he would be reinstated.

“We wish it didn’t happen, but we put a value on it and we expect he’ll make a charitable payment and we expect the NCAA will agree with us,” Roberts said.

--Gary Klein