On Thursday, USC Trojans football coach Lincoln Riley restored access for Orange County Register reporter Luca Evans, allowing him to continue covering the team. This decision came after Riley reversed a two-week suspension initially imposed for purportedly breaching the team’s media policy.
In a statement, Riley described his conversation with Evans as “productive,” noting that both parties acknowledged they could have managed the situation differently. He expressed appreciation for Evans’ understanding of the policies designed to protect student-athletes, emphasizing the importance of adhering to these guidelines in the future.
Evans also commented on the situation through X (formerly Twitter), mentioning their extensive discussion and his commitment to providing “honest, compelling stories.”
The issue arose when Evans published a story that included comments from freshman running back Quinten Joyner regarding a conversation he had with freshman Braylon Shelby before a media session. From Riley’s perspective, this reporting fell outside the designated media availability, constituting a policy violation. Riley expressed his discontent, stating, “I know the article in question was not accurate, there were multiple policies broken, and we felt like it was far enough that we needed to act.”
In support of Evans, Orange County Register senior editor Todd Harmonson labeled the suspension a “huge overreaction” and, along with Southern California News Group publisher Ron Haase, formally requested its reconsideration, though the school initially upheld the suspension.
Evans is set to cover the Trojans’ upcoming game against Arizona State on Saturday night.
