Reggie Bush sues USC, NCAA and Pac-12 for unearned NIL compensation

Former USC football star running back and 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush has filed a lawsuit against USC, the Pac-12 and the NCAA, seeking compensation for his name, image and likeness (NIL) from his decorated career with the Trojans from 2003-05.

In a statement, the law firm representing Bush in the matter said the lawsuit “aims to address and rectify ongoing injustices stemming from the exploitation” of his NIL rights.

The statement cites revenue streams like television contracts and merchandise sales that Bush’s on-field excellence helped enhance. His legal team added that the three entities named in the lawsuit continued to profit from Bush’s reputation “without any acknowledgement of his contribution” after he left for the NFL following the 2005 season.

“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,” attorney Evan Selik of the law firm McCathern Law said in a statement. “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 as big of a superstar as there has been in modern college football history as the electrifying running back for top-ranked USC teams that embodied the fame and glamour of Los Angeles.

Over his three seasons with the Trojans, he rushed for 3,169 yards and 25 touchdowns while averaging 7.3 yards per carry. He also had 1,301 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. That production reached a peak as a junior in 2005: He rushed for 1,740 yards, averaged 8.7 yards per carry and ran for 16 touchdowns, adding 478 receiving yards and two touchdown catches.

He won the Heisman Trophy that year, an award that was vacated in 2010 after USC was hit with significant NCAA sanctions for violations that included Bush receiving impermissible benefits. The Heisman Trust reinstated Bush as the winner in April, citing ‘enormous changes in the college football landscape” as a factor in its decision.

Over Bush’s career, USC went 37-2 and won two national championships. Bush went on to play 11 years in the NFL with the New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills. He was part of the Saints team that won a Super Bowl in 2010.

Bush becomes the latest and perhaps highest-profile athlete to mount a legal challenge against the NCAA or one of its conferences trying to recoup NIL money it was denied because of NCAA rules at the time of their careers.

Earlier this month, four former Michigan football players, including Denard Robinson and Braylon Edwards, sued the NCAA and the Big Ten Network for more than $50 million from being ‘wrongfully and unlawfully denied’ the opportunity to earn money from their name, image and likeness. In June, 10 members of NC State’s famed 1983 national-title-winning men’s basketball team sued the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company seeking payment for the unauthorized use of their name, image and likeness.