Former Trojans star Reggie Bush sues USC and NCAA over uncompensated NIL – Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES – In late July, his Heisman Trophy finally rested on a table in the John McKay Center at USC, Reggie Bush's alma mater, where a piece of bronze that had become a symbol of one of the biggest legal battles in modern NCAA history was proudly displayed.

It was therefore a sign that the sentences Reggie Bush And University of Southern California – as imprinted on his statue – were once again forever linked, the former USC star finally being fully accepted and celebrated by a new administration within the university walls. And the 39-year-old quickly seemed to become a valued part of the community again since Lincoln Riley and athletic director Jen Cohen endorsed the return of his Heisman title in April, his No. 5 jersey finally appeared on the Coliseum's portico and Bush appeared courtside at USC's season opener against LSU in Vegas.

There have also been public rumors that Bush might lead USC out of the tunnel in a game this fall, a desire he has made clear since announcing a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA for 2023.

This is an unlikely outcome at this point.

On Monday morning, Bush announced a lawsuit against USC, the Pac-12 and the NCAA for allegedly “exploiting Reggie Bush's name, image and likeness during his tenure as a USC football player,” according to a press release from Bush's team and legal representative McCathern Law. The lawsuit cites unrecovered NIL benefits related to revenue streams – such as television contracts, merchandise sales and media rights – “tied to” Bush's notoriety during his time at USC, and alleges that the school, conference and NCAA reaped financial benefits from Bush's reputation without receiving any financial recognition.

Bush's team declined a request for comment.

“We welcome the fact that USC's new administration is attempting to pick up the pieces of previous administrations' unfair and inappropriate treatment of Reggie Bush,” attorney Levi McCathern said in a statement. “However, the delay in correcting this problem speaks volumes.”

They had, in fact, very publicly attempted to pick up the pieces, continuing a long separation that officially ended in 2020 under Mike Bohn's administration following the legal battle with the NCAA over his Heisman Trophy. A source familiar with the situation confirmed to the Southern California News Group that USC and Bush's team had been in talks to set a date this fall for Bush to lead the USC team out of the tunnel at the Coliseum, an honor traditionally reserved for prominent graduates of the school.

But over the past year, Bush has continued to push to legally restore his reputation after the NCAA ruled in 2010 that Bush accepted improper benefits while at USC and subsequently stripped him of his Heisman Award. However, a subsequent legal battle involving former USC coach Todd McNair blew massive holes in the credibility of the NCAA's original investigation. This set in motion a timeline that eventually led to Bush announcing a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA in August 2023 over the language surrounding a “pay-for-play” statement about Bush, and the Heisman Trust finally bent the knee this spring, a triumphant moment for Bush.

“I have never cheated,” Bush said in a press conference in April after receiving his Heisman Award. “And there is no evidence of it.”

His lawsuit appears to build in some ways on the landmark settlement reached this summer in several antitrust cases against the NCAA, which will require NCAA athletes to pay $2.8 billion in back damages over a 10-year period for the use of their name, image and likeness without compensation.