New Trial Is Ordered for Water Polo Coach Convicted in ‘Varsity Blues’ Scandal

Jovan Vavic, former water polo coach at the University of Southern California, was accused of taking bribes in the name of the water polo team and to fund private school tuition for his children and convicted of bribery and fraud.

Vavic was granted a new trial by Judge Indira Talwani, who questioned whether USC should be considered a victim in this case because the university kept the money.

“There was no evidence in the record to suggest that Vavic was taking U.S.C. water polo team money for his own benefit,” she wrote in her decision. “And, however distasteful, there is nothing inherently illegal about a private institution accepting money in exchange for a student’s admission.”

Vavic was also accused of being a part of the admissions scheme which involved the recruitment of students with false athletic credentials in return for payments to athletic officials. Vavic and his lawyers are denying any involvement with this scandal.

I think this article was interesting because it built upon the “Operation Varsity Blues” scandal at USC in 2019. As part of the New York Times audience, I found this article compelling and newsworthy because I was unaware that yet another coach potentially participated in bribery and fraud, and it added yet another layer to the shocking admissions scandal. I think this news could potentially impact what colleges and universities students would want to apply to, which could greatly impact the revenue and status of these universities. This article was well-written and easy to follow, and was organized in a way that presented the most important facts first.