Former USC running back Reggie Bush is suing his alma mater, the Pac-12 and the NCAA, seeking compensation for name, image and likeness rights (NIL) that he may have received if he had been allowed to profit from the use of his name during his time in college.
In filings by his legal team, Bush argues that the NCAA reaped substantial financial benefits from his playing career through television contracts, merchandise sales and media rights. Bush, like all college athletes at the time, was not allowed to profit from his NIL.
“This lawsuit is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush,” said Evan Sellick, an attorney representing Bush. “It's about setting a precedent for the fair treatment of all college athletes. Our goal is to right this injustice and pave the way for a system in which athletes are properly valued, compensated and treated fairly for their contributions.”
Bush was arguably college football's biggest star in the mid-2000s — he rushed for 1,740 yards and 16 touchdowns during his Heisman-winning junior season — but was stripped of the trophy after it was discovered he had received unfair benefits.
Any rifts between Bush, his university and the Heisman Foundation appeared to have been resolved when the Heisman Foundation returned the trophy to Bush earlier this year, and USC also hung a flag with his number 5 on its stadium along with the school's other Heisman Trophy winners.
However, the proposal did not seem to impress President Bush.
“We commend the new USC administration for attempting to remedy the previous administration's unfair and inappropriate treatment of Reggie Bush, but the delay in this remedy is significant,” said Levi G. McArthur II, one of Bush's lawyers.
The suit is not Bush's only legal action against the NCAA: He is also suing the college athletics governing body for defamation after a spokesman alleged he was involved in a “pay-for-play” scheme.
