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June 11, 2010 at 8:30 PM

Huskies deny contacting Dillon Baxter

The University of Washington is denying tonight an allegation contained in an ESPN.com story that the UW was one of five schools to illegally contact USC running back Dillon Baxter.

In the story, Baxter --- a freshman running back who emerged as potentially the starter at the position for USC in spring practice after enrolling early ---- alleges that UW, Oregon, Florida, Alabama and Fresno State all contacted him on Thursday to see if he would be interested in transferring. He alleged that the contact came soon after it was learned that USC would be put on a two-year post-season ban for NCAA violations.

While USC's juniors and seniors can be contacted to see if they would be interested in transferring --- since USC will not be eligible for a bowl game during the rest of their college careers --- underclassmen are not allowed to be contacted.

In a statement released through the school's sports information department tonight, however, UW says it has contacted no USC players.

"The University of Washington denies any accusation of attempting to contact any current USC football players,'' the statement read. Oregon, Alabama and Florida have also all denied contacting Baxter.

It was learned today that UW would not have much need for trying to contact any USC upper classmen as the Pac-10 has decided it will not waive a conference rule that players transferring within the conference have to sit out a year.

NCAA rules stipulate that players on teams given post-season bans may transfer without penalty if their eligibility expires before the bowl ban runs out (so in this case, juniors and seniors at USC). However, the Pac-10 has decided its own conference rule will take precedence and that players would still have to sit out a year (and that any transfer would have to be approved by the conference office, as is standard operating procedure). That effectively rules out any transfers within conferences.

A Pac-10 official affirmed to the Times today that conference schools will have to abide by conference transfer rules in regards to players from USC.

UW appears to be at the 85-player roster limit heading into fall camp, so no real room to take anyone, anyway.

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