Reggie Bush fighting to get USC's 2004 BCS National Championship trophy back

It’s been 20 years since the USC Trojans dominated the sport of college football, rolling to an undefeated 12-0 season capped by a 55-19 rout of Oklahoma to win the 2004 BCS National Championship.

And it’s been 15 years since it was all stripped away by the NCAA, which vacated the Trojans’ entire 2004 season — including its 2005 Orange Bowl victory over the Sooners — in 2010 after determining star USC running back Reggie Bush was ineligible for receiving improper benefits — which is now legal in the age of name, image and likeness (NIL).

Now, after successfully petitioning the Heisman Trust to return his stripped 2005 Heisman Trophy last year, Bush is “extremely optimistic” that his 2023 defamation lawsuit against the NCAA for describing his improper benefits as “pay-for-play” will result in the organization reinstating all the vacated wins and return all rescinded awards, including the 2005 BCS National Championship trophy.

“I’m extremely optimistic,” Bush told The Sporting Tribune. “I’m the one that’s out here still fighting the fight in trying to make sure that everything is restored, not only to me, but to USC as well. With the return of the Heisman Trophy, the return of our national championship should have been part of that as well. But, for whatever reason, this is something that I’m still having to fight over but I’m not going to give up until we get everything back.

“I made that promise to my teammates when they came to support me at the College Football Hall of Fame induction, a bunch of my teammates showed up and it was like a family reunion all over again. Those are my brothers and I still want to honor them through going and getting our national championship back, which should have never been taken away from us to begin with. We deserve our place in history and to be recognized as one of the greatest teams ever to come through college football.”

The NCAA originally announced major sanctions against the USC football and men’s basketball programs in 2010 after a multi-year investigation into illegal benefits provided to Bush and former Trojans basketball star OJ Mayo, citing a cooperating sports agent that sued Bush and his family to recoup nearly $300,000 in cash and gifts in 2007.

But in light of new rules allowing NIL payments to student-athletes beginning in 2021, Bush has advocated for a full reinstatement of all vacated awards and records the NCAA took away. The NCAA issued a statement in July 2021 indicating it wouldn’t re-evaluate any previous infractions, pointing out updated NIL rules still prohibit “pay-for-play” arrangements, implying Bush’s benefits were still illegal. The statement led Bush to file his 2023 defamation lawsuit against the NCAA that is still pending.

Reggie Bush files NIL lawsuit against USC, Pac-12, NCAA

Former USC star running back and Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush filed a lawsuit against USC, the Pac-12 Conference and NCAA, seeking compensation for name, image and likeness used without permission.

Bush’s Heisman Trophy was reinstated this past April after the running back forfeited his trophy in 2010 in the wake of significant NCAA sanctions for USC. But with major changes to the college landscape, the running back received his Heisman.

Now he is filing a lawsuit looking for NIL compensation. Bush is arguing he should be paid dollars for the compensation he produced for USC, Pac-12 and NCAA off television contracts, merchandise sales and media rights. The former star never received dollars from USC for playing. CBS first reported the news.

“This case is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush,” Evan Selik, one of the attorneys representing Bush, said. “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 or their contributions.”

The suit from Bush was filed while the NCAA works on settling the House v. NCAA case – a settlement that would dramatically reshape college athletics.

The House settlement, if approved, would allow schools to share $20 to $23 million annually with athletes. Roughly $2.77 billion in back damages will also be paid out to former athletes for lost revenue sharing and NIL opportunities. Athletes at any time eligible for competition from June 15, 2016, through Sept. 15, 2024, will receive payments.

Pete Nakos contributed to this report.