Reggie Bush has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, the Pac-12 and USC, seeking compensation over how the three entities used his name, image and likeness during his three seasons with the Trojans in the early 2000s.
McCathern Law, which represents Bush, said the three entities capitalized off his popularity as “revenue streams including lucrative TV contracts, merchandise sales, and extensive media rights have generated substantial profits for these organizations, all directly linked to Reggie Bush’s prominence.”
The suit claims that Bush has not been compensated for his likeness and that the three organizations continued to financially benefit without any recognition of his contributions even after he moved on to the NFL.
“This case is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush,” attorney Evan Selik said in a statement. “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 already has ongoing litigation against the NCAA. Last August, he sued the organization for defamation over comments from NCAA spokesperson Meghan Durham Wright that she made to journalists in 2021 shortly after the NCAA changed its rules to allow NIL. Although Wright didn’t name Bush, Wright was answering a question about Bush when she said, “NCAA rules still do not permit pay-for-play type arrangements.”
“Reggie will always be a revered member of the Trojan Family, and we were very pleased to support his successful efforts to recover his Heisman Trophy,” wrote USC in a statement Monday. “We have not received a copy of the lawsuit so we are unable to address its allegations.”
The NCAA didn’t respond to a request for comment. The Pac-12 declined to comment.
In 2010, the NCAA accused Bush of taking improper funds from a potential representative as it related to his future NFL career, with the idea that Bush would hire that representative as an agent when reaching the pros. Bush, who played 11 years in the NFL, maintains that he was never paid to play at USC.
This lawsuit comes after the Heisman Trust returned Bush’s 2005 Heisman Trophy to him in April in light of the NCAA’s NIL policy. In 2020, USC formally welcomed Bush back to the Trojan family after his 10-year disassociation (handed down by the NCAA) ended that June.
USC, meanwhile, has gone through seismic changes in the nearly two decades since Bush left the school. In addition to Pete Carroll’s departure after the 2009 season, the school has gone through several head coaches, including current coach Lincoln Riley. The biggest change of all was leaving the Pac-12 and joining the Big Ten this summer for larger media revenue shares.
The law firm acknowledged that USC has done its part to amend the relationship with its famed alum. “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,” Bush’s lawyer, Levi G. McCathern II, said in a statement. “However, the delay in fixing this speaks volumes.”
(This story has been updated in the sixth paragraph with a note that the Pac-12 declined to comment.)
