USC investigates, clears wide receiver Marqise Lee over autographs

USC says Marqise Lee did no wrong by signing autographs at BCS Championship Game. (Harry How/Getty Images)

University of Southern California officials are in the process of sending a cease-and-desist letter to a memorabilia dealer to keep him from selling autographs of wide receiver Marqise Lee obtained during a trip to the BCS Championship Game in January, the school announced.

The school determined there was no NCAA infraction for Lee signing the autographs.

Lee, a junior, was last season's Biletnikoff award winner given to the nation's top receiver. He caught 118 passes for 1,721 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Trojans in 2012.

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"USC recently received an inquiry that floated Marqise Lee's name and the autograph signing situation in Miami that has been in the news lately," said Dave Roberts, USC's Vice President of Athletic Compliance.

"As is USC's policy, USC immediately and diligently investigated the inquiry. Last January, Marqise and other college football award winners were in Miami to be honored by the Orange Bowl Committee at the BCS Championship Game. While there, Lee signed several photographs, some that were personalized, for an individual who represented himself as a fan and collector. Some of those photos have since been offered for sale online.

Lee also released a statement:

"I believed that the individual who asked me to sign the photos was a fan and collector.  I did not ask to be paid, I was not offered anything, I did not get anything and I did not authorize my autographs to be sold. "I will make no further comments regarding this statement or anything related to it."