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Reggie Bush does not have the fondest relationship with the NCAA thanks to the scandal he found himself at the center of during his time at USC, and the man who previously sued the governing body for defamation is now taking it to court in search of NIL money he thinks he’s entitled to.
Reggie Bush kicked off his college football career with the USC Trojans in 2003 and quickly emerged as one of the most electric running backs the world had ever seen en route to winning a couple of national championships, the Heisman Trophy, and a slew of other awards honoring his dominance.
However, his time at USC was ultimately tarnished by the scandal that unfolded after he took his talents to the NFL courtesy of an agent who said he’d showered Bush and his family with cash and gifts worth close to $300K, which sparked an NCAA investigation that ended with the Trojans getting slapped with a slew of sanctions and Bush being stripped of his Heisman.
Bush was finally reunited with his trophy earlier this year, and in 2023, he opted to sue the NCAA over a statement where a spokesperson for the organization asserted the USC scandal revolved around “pay-for-play type arrangements”—a characterization that was described as “false and highly offensive” in the defamation filing.
That case is still working its way through the legal system, and according to CBS Sports, Bush is doubling down with a new lawsuit filed against the NCAA (as well as USC and the PAC-12) in search of retroactive payments stemming from the use of his name, image, and likeness.
The new filing claims those parties were able to take advantage of Bush’s stardom to rake in cash from television deals and merchandise sales without properly compensating a man who wasn’t able to take advantage of the NIL riches that are currently available to the best players in the country when he burst onto the scene.
Bush’s lawyer attempted to position the lawsuit as a move meant to benefit other people who were unable to cash in during their time in school, saying the ultimate goal is a favorable ruling “setting a precedent for the fair treatment of all college athletes”
As the outlet notes, Bush isn’t the first former player to go this route. Members of the NC State “Cardiac Pack” basketball team that won a title in 1983 pulled a similar move in August, and four guys who played football at Michigan prior to the advent of the NIL Era followed suit a couple of weeks ago.