Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush has filed a lawsuit against USC, the Pac-12 Conference and the NCAA seeking compensation for the use of his name, image and likeness while he was a star college running back decades ago and years after he left the Trojans.
“Reggie Bush received all the accolades a college football athlete could receive during his three years playing football at USC,” states a lawsuit filed by Bush’s attorneys Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. “And while Bush received the accolades, defendants, the NCAA, USC and the Pac-12 Conference received all the money,
“Millions and millions of dollars in money, all derived directly from Reggie Bush’s name, image, and likeness. To this day, all of the defendants continue to profit from Reggie Bush’s name, image, and likeness without compensating him one cent.”
Bush is seeking a share of those profits — including from television shows and other lucrative licensing and sponsorship deals — as well as an injunction barring the defendants from ever using his name, image and likeness for financial gain again.
“This case is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush; it is about setting a precedent for the fair treatment of all college athletes,” Evan Selik, an attorney representing Bush, said in a statement Monday. “Our goal is to rectify this injustice and pave the way for a system in which athletes are recognized, compensated and treated fairly for their contributions.”
During his three seasons at USC, Bush helped the Trojans win the Associated Press national championship in 2003 and 2004 and the BCS title in 2004. He also won the Heisman in 2005. At the time, NCAA rules prevented athletes from receiving compensation for the use of their names, images or likenesses.
In 2010, the NCAA determined that Bush and his family had accepted improper benefits during his time as an athlete at USC and imposed numerous sanctions on the school. As part of the fallout, a large portion of Bush's statistics were no longer officially recognized, forcing him to return his 2005 Heisman.
“When Bush played football at USC, all defendants prevented him from receiving financial benefits by claiming that certain rules existed that were necessary to promote the NCAA’s principle of ‘amateurism’ and preserve ‘a clear line of demarcation between intercollegiate athletics and professional sports,’” the suit states.
“Reggie Bush has a proprietary interest in his public persona and should have the exclusive right to profit from it and restrict its commercial use.”
Three years ago, the NCAA changed its rules to allow athletes to receive compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness, a move that helped earn Bush his Heisman in April. In August 2023, Bush sued the NCAA alleging defamation, announcing the suit during a news conference at the site of his college football glory, the Coliseum.
“We appreciate that the new USC administration is attempting to repair the damage caused by previous administrations’ unfair and inappropriate handling of Reggie Bush,” Levi G. McCathern II, another attorney representing Bush, said in a statement, “however, the delay in addressing this speaks volumes.”
USC emailed a statement to The Times on Monday afternoon.
“Reggie will always be a revered member of the Trojan family and we are very pleased to have supported his successful efforts to regain his Heisman Trophy,” the university said. “We have not received a copy of the lawsuit, so we cannot address his allegations.”
The Pac-12 declined to comment for this article. The NCAA did not respond to a request for comment.
