ESPN College Football

LOS ANGELES -- At least one member of the top-ranked Southern California football team is under investigation for sexual assault, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed Tuesday.

The assault allegedly occurred Monday morning, according to Officer Esther Reyes, a police spokeswoman.

"Today the rape special section of LAPD's robbery division began conducting an investigation into the allegation of a sexual assault that may involve a member or members of the USC football team," Reyes told reporters. She declined to elaborate.

The player, who is a starter, was removed from practice Tuesday morning for disciplinary reasons, coach Pete Carroll told the Los Angeles Daily News. The player was being punished for rules violations, including breaking curfew, according to the newspaper.

Sources told the Daily News the incident under investigation took place at a small party Sunday night and involved a female friend of the player's. The alleged victim did not accuse the player formally but remembered that he was at the party while she was being assaulted, multiple sources told the paper.

Carroll said the university was cooperating fully with investigators.

"It's clearly inappropriate to talk about it. I don't have a lot of information right now, so to speak in any direction is just not right," Carroll said. The coach added he spoke to his players about the investigation.

"I've just let them know what we know, that there's an investigation going on," Carroll said. "They're not able to comment because they don't have any appropriate information, either."

Asked whether the player had been suspended, he told the Daily News, "We'll let you know more later. We keep our issues in-house."

The Trojans are the AP defending national champions. The are ranked No. 1 in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls, but their fate this season has been left up in the air by the uncertain status of All-American wide receiver Mike Williams and the loss of several other top players.

School officials are still awaiting word on whether the NCAA will reinstate Williams for his junior season after his failed attempt to join the National Football League.

The Trojans lost senior All-American defensive end Kenechi Udeze to the NFL and wide receiver Whitney Lewis and tailback Chauncey Washington to academic ineligibility. Winston Justice, a two-year starter at offensive tackle, was suspended from school for allegedly pulling a pellet gun on a fellow student last February.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.