Leinart Had Been Ineligible

The LA Times is reporting that USC quarterback Matt Leinart violated an NCAA rule by appearing in a promotional tag for a national television network, but his eligibility was reinstated Tuesday, an NCAA spokesman said.

USC quietly declared the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner ineligible earlier this month after ESPN aired the brief promotional segment, which was recorded after the Trojans' victory over UCLA. USC reported the violation and petitioned the NCAA to reinstate Leinart.

Leinart's actions were "unintentional and inadvertent," said the NCAA's Kent Barrett.

"This was the type of thing where it was obvious the student-athlete was not attempting to become an endorser of a network," Barrett said.

Leinart's situation came to light when USC's sports information staff turned down post-practice interview requests for the senior, who is only made available to the media on Tuesdays. Tessalone said Leinart had been barred by USC from participating in media activities until after Christmas, a move some would argue is more reward than punishment for a player who has been burdened by media demands.