USC to offer four-year scholarships to football, basketball players

LOS ANGELES -- Southern California athletic director Pat Haden announced that the school will now offer four-year scholarships to scholarship players on the football team and in the men's and women's basketball programs.

The policy, which became effective July 1, represents a change from USC's current practice of offering players in those sports one-year renewable scholarships.

Haden said USC is taking the action in the hopes of helping to lead the effort ''to refocus on student-athlete welfare on and off the field.''