Update: Hyman suspends Garcia until mid-August

Updated at 7:15 p.m.

USC athletics director Eric Hyman announced this evening that USC quarterback Stephen Garcia has been suspended from the football team through Aug. 15, putting Garcia’s future with the Gamecocks in doubt.

Garcia will not be allowed to participate in any football-related activities for the rest of the spring practice and through most of the summer.

"Stephen Garcia broke University rules," Hyman said. "Therefore he is suspended from all team activities through Aug. 15."

In addition, university officials have suspended Garcia from summer school and will require him to participate in an in-depth alcohol counseling program and submit to drug and alcohol tests if he wishes to return to school in mid-August, when summer school ends, sources told The State. Garcia would have to be readmitted to USC.

Garcia will be allowed to finish this semester at USC, but must move out of campus housing next week.

The disciplinary action comes three days after Garcia’s latest run-in with the law.

Garcia, 20, was one of three players cited and charged Saturday evening for underage drinking after campus police found them with coolers of beer in the courtyard between the South and East Quad dormitories. Gary Garcia, 25, the quarterback’s brother, was charged with transferring beer to a minor.

Stephen Garcia, a native of Tampa, Fla., has faced criminal charges three times since arriving on campus 15 months ago.

Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said Monday night that Garcia’s “fate is in the hands of the University of South Carolina,” adding he would keep Garcia on the team if the university allowed him to remain in school.

“If the university allows him to be here, we’ll give him another shot,” Spurrier said.

Less than five hours after Garcia was ticketed for underage drinking, he told police and firefighters responding to a fire alarm at the dorm that he discharged an extinguisher after noticing sparks coming from his stove.

He was not charged in the incident, but was referred to the student disciplinary system.

Garcia, who graduated from high school early and enrolled at USC last January, was suspended for spring practice last year after two arrests in a two-week span.

The right-hander has yet to take a snap in a game, but had been competing with Tommy Beecher and Chris Smelley for the starting job.