LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Former USC running back Reggie Bush announced a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA Wednesday, accusing the collegiate athletic oversight organization of falsely claiming he had a "pay-to-play" arrangement while starring for the Trojans, leading to the stripping of his football records and Heisman Trophy.
The lawsuit, filed in Indiana but announced at a news conference at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, focuses on a July 28, 2021, statement issued by the NCAA, in which the organization declined to reinstate Bush's collegiate records due to his involvement in a "pay-for-play arrangement." Bush's attorneys called the allegation patently false, saying he was never paid by USC or any other entity to play for the university.
"Reggie Bush did not accept any kind of pay for playing for USC," civil rights attorney Ben Crump said. "The truth is, Reggie Bush played for USC out of devotion, devotion that earned him many collegiate records and awards including the Heisman Trophy, the highest honor bestowed on a college football player. And it was his devotion that helped earn his team ... multiple national championships. And it was Reggie's devotion and the other players in college football that earned the NCAA billions of dollars -- billions of dollars."
Bush told reporters he has dreams of coming back to the Coliseum and running out of the tunnel with the Trojan football team, but "I can't rightfully do that without my Heisman Trophy."
He said his collegiate career and the success of his Trojan teams "was all torn down so easily with no factual evidence behind any of these claims."
"And so most recently the NCAA has made a statement about me, accusing me of engaging in a pay-for-play arrangement, which is 100 percent not true," Bush said. "Not only is it not true, but there's no evidence to support that claim. ... It wasn't even part of the initial NCAA investigation. So this is a new accusation as far as I'm concerned."
There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the NCAA.
The NCAA statement regarding an alleged "pay-for-play arrangement" came in response to inquiries about a possible reinstatement of his collegiate records and return of his Heisman Trophy, following the NCAA's approval of so- called NIL rules allowing college athletes to be paid for use of their name, image or likeness, and following questions raised in separate litigation about the veracity of the NCAA's investigation that led to the penalties against USC.
Officials with the Heisman Trust indicated they would be willing to consider a return of Bush's award if the NCAA reinstated him. But the NCAA declined to do so, issuing the 2021 statement that referred to "pay-to-play."
According to the NCAA investigation, Bush, his mother and stepfather accepted thousands of dollars in cash and free housing from a would-be marketer while Bush was playing for USC beginning in December 2004. He and his family were also given an automobile, air travel, hotel lodging, transportation and other benefits, according to the NCAA's 67-page report.
On Wednesday, Bush and his attorneys again refuted the results of that NCAA investigation.
"I want to clear up a couple of popular misconceptions first," attorney Levi McCathern said. "One misconception is he was paid by USC to play football. Some schools did that. USC did not, and Reggie never got a dime from USC. A second popular misconception is Reggie was somehow paid by a sponsor, alumni, someone at the school. No one ever paid him. Reggie was never paid for play. Never pay for play. The violations that they found, which were based on shoddy evidence, a sloppy investigation, terrible work by the NCAA, were very marginal violations at best -- things like loaning money for Reggie to fix his car, allowing Reggie to change clothes."
In addition to the defamation lawsuit, Bush's attorneys also filed a renewed petition with the NCAA to reconsider its decision and reinstate Bush's collegiate records and honors.
Bush played for USC from 2003-05, helping the Trojans to a 2004 national championship, which it vacated in connection with the NCAA investigation.
Bush, a graduate of Helix High School in La Mesa, was the second overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft and went on to play 11 seasons in the league for five different teams.
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