LOS ANGELES — Former Southern California soccer star Reggie Bush has filed a lawsuit in opposition to his college, the NCAA and the Pac-12 in a bid to recoup cash made on his title, picture and likeness throughout his profession with the Trojans twenty years in the past.
In a quick information launch from Bush’s attorneys asserting the submitting Monday, the Heisman Trophy-winning tailback’s representatives declare he must be paid “to handle and rectify ongoing injustices stemming from the exploitation of Reggie Bush’s title, picture, and likeness throughout his tenure as a USC soccer participant.”
“This case isn’t just about searching for justice for Reggie Bush,” legal professional Evan Selik stated in an announcement. “It’s about setting a precedent for the truthful therapy of all school athletes. Our aim is to rectify this injustice and pave the best way for a system the place athletes are rightfully acknowledged, compensated and handled pretty for his or her contributions.”
More Sports from NBC News
Bush was some of the thrilling gamers in latest school soccer historical past throughout his three years at USC from 2003-05 whereas profitable two nationwide titles and the Heisman. He went on to an 11-year NFL profession.
Bush forfeited his Heisman in 2010 after USC was hit with huge sanctions partly associated to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports activities entrepreneurs. The Heisman Trust restored the distinction earlier this 12 months and returned the trophy to Bush, citing elementary modifications within the construction of school athletics over the previous 14 years.
Bush remains to be pursuing the separate defamation lawsuit he filed in opposition to the NCAA final 12 months over the governing physique’s 2021 characterization of the circumstances that led to Bush’s troubles.
It’s unclear how the brand new lawsuit will have an effect on Bush’s relationship with USC, which had been very warm this 12 months.
The college was ordered to disassociate from Bush for 10 years after the 2010 NCAA ruling, however USC had welcomed again Bush and hailed the return of his Heisman Trophy whereas returning his No. 5 to its place of honor amongst USC’s eight banners for its Heisman winners on the Peristyle on the Coliseum. Bush was scheduled to steer the present Trojans out of the Coliseum tunnel at an undetermined sport later this season.
“We respect that the brand new administration at USC is attempting to choose up the items of the previous administrations’ unjust and improper dealing with of Reggie Bush,” Levi McCathern, the legal professional additionally dealing with Bush’s separate lawsuit in opposition to the NCAA. “However, the delay in fixing this speaks volumes.”
USC didn’t instantly return a request from The Associated Press for touch upon Bush’s new submitting.
Bush is simply the most recent former athlete to hunt compensation by way of the courts this 12 months for his or her prior athletic careers beneath the brand new guidelines in school athletics.
Denard Robinson and Braylon Edwards had been amongst a number of former Michigan stars who sued the NCAA and the Big Ten Network earlier this month. In June, a bunch of 10 gamers on NC State’s 1983 NCAA championship-winning basketball crew sued the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company to hunt compensation to be used of their names, photographs and likenesses.
The NCAA and main school conferences are at the moment trying to settle three antitrust lawsuits associated to NIL compensation for athletes. There is a settlement settlement in place to pay $2.78 billion to a whole lot of hundreds of school athletes.
The NCAA modified its guidelines in 2021 to permit athletes to earn money by way of sponsorship and endorsement offers after fiercely preventing in opposition to it for many years.