The norm is 4,1year renewable contracts at the schools option. You could lose it for failure in the class room, not performing well enough on the field, if you are injured and cannot perform, or worse injured and are forced to leave the game. Again its schools option, and then there is balancing the roster, doing the right thing, but do you ever question why each year we sign 20 some athletes and senior day we honor less than 10? This is huge on USC's part, and I salute them.