Former Southern California football star Reggie Bush has initiated a lawsuit against the University of Southern California (USC), the NCAA, and the Pac-12 Conference, aiming to recover financial compensation for the use of his name, image, and likeness (NIL) during his tenure with the Trojans nearly two decades ago.
Bush’s attorneys released a statement on Monday regarding the lawsuit, asserting that he should be compensated “to address and rectify ongoing injustices stemming from the exploitation of Reggie Bush’s name, image, and likeness during his tenure as a USC football player.”
Attorney Evan Selik emphasized that “This case is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush. It’s about setting a precedent for the fair treatment of all college athletes. Our goal is to rectify this injustice and pave the way for a system where athletes are rightfully recognized, compensated, and treated fairly for their contributions.”
Bush was a standout player in college football, playing for USC from 2003 to 2005, where he won two national championships and the Heisman Trophy. Following his college career, he played 11 seasons in the NFL.
In 2010, Bush forfeited his Heisman Trophy after USC faced significant sanctions related to his dealings with two aspiring sports marketers. Earlier this year, the Heisman Trust reinstated the trophy and returned it to Bush, citing fundamental changes in the landscape of college athletics over the past 14 years.
Bush is also pursuing a separate defamation lawsuit against the NCAA, which he filed last year concerning the organization’s 2021 characterization of the events that led to his controversies.
The impact of the new lawsuit on Bush’s relationship with USC remains uncertain. This year, the relationship appeared to be on good terms; USC had welcomed Bush back after a decade-long disassociation following the NCAA’s 2010 ruling. The school celebrated the return of his Heisman Trophy and reinstated his No. 5 jersey among the honored numbers of its Heisman winners at the Coliseum. Bush was also scheduled to lead the current Trojans onto the field from the Coliseum tunnel at an unspecified game later this season.
Levi McCathern, another attorney involved in Bush’s cases, stated, “We appreciate that the new administration at USC is trying to pick up the pieces of the former administrations’ unjust and improper handling of Reggie Bush. However, the delay in fixing this speaks volumes.”
USC has not yet responded to requests from The Associated Press regarding Bush’s latest legal action.
Bush joins a growing number of former athletes seeking legal redress for past athletic careers under the evolving rules of college athletics. Notable former Michigan players Denard Robinson and Braylon Edwards filed a lawsuit against the NCAA and the Big Ten Network earlier this month. Additionally, a group of ten players from NC State’s 1983 NCAA championship basketball team is pursuing compensation for the use of their names, images, and likenesses.
The NCAA and major college conferences are currently involved in settling three antitrust lawsuits related to NIL compensation for athletes, with a settlement agreement that includes a payout of $2.78 billion to hundreds of thousands of college athletes.
In 2021, the NCAA revised its regulations to permit athletes to profit from sponsorship and endorsement deals after resisting such changes for decades.
