• Loading stock data...
Thursday, September 18, 2025

Reggie Bush’s Plan To Get His 2005 Heisman Trophy Back

  • On Wednesday, Reggie Bush filed a defamation lawsuit against the NCAA.
  • He’s using the case as part of a yearslong campaign to get his Heisman Trophy back.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday, former USC running back Reggie Bush held a press conference at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to discuss his defamation lawsuit against the NCAA.

The case centers around a 2021 NCAA statement saying Bush had engaged in a “pay-for-play” arrangement — widely understood to mean a school or booster paying an athlete under the table. 

In his press conference, Bush said “this is a new accusation as far as I’m concerned” — and said it was completely false. 

The lawsuit is all part of a yearslong campaign for the former All-American and Super Bowl Champion to get his 2005 Heisman Trophy back. 

A win in the case wouldn’t directly result in the NCAA reinstating his previous records and eligibility. But it’s a powerful tool to force the NCAA’s hand through the drudge of litigation and the PR firestorm that follows it. 

His plan is to attack the NCAA, give the public evidence to prove his innocence and, by proxy, get the governing body to return his trophy. He’s simultaneously filed a formal request with the NCAA Committee On Infractions to reopen his case.

The majority of the Wednesday press conference, as well as the complaint itself, focused on the saga of Bush’s NCAA investigation rather than a defamation claim. He opened his comments with his “dreams” of leading the Trojans out of the tunnel — something he feels like he can’t do properly without his Heisman trophy.

Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, co-counsel to the lawsuit, focused heavily on the unfairness of the infractions process. He also told reporters he would release the investigation so that they could judge its merit for themselves (even though the investigation wasn’t part of the lawsuit).

Crump attacked the NCAA’s entire enterprise, calling the NCAA a “plantation mentality” where they “treat athletes as indentured servants” while “sharing none of the bounty.”

Now, the lawsuit is being used as a platform to publicly lay out a saga in which a football star was unfairly stripped of his accolades: In 2005, Bush was awarded college football’s highest honor after an unforgettable season where the star led the Trojans to a BCS Championship game.

Five years later, an NCAA investigation accused Bush of having accepted impermissible benefits from a “marketing agency,” at the time a family friend named Lloyd Lake. 

Bush was forced to disassociate from USC for a decade, and the school was forced to vacate wins — and therefore Bush’s records. Bush, declared ineligible during his performance, relinquished the trophy in 2012. (Bush and his lawyers have reiterated that these allegations are false, and a subsequent lawsuit filed by a coach found the NCAA’s investigation to be horribly flawed.)

Bush has tried to get the NCAA to change its mind — to no avail. 

After NIL rules were changed in 2021, Bush released a statement asking for his trophy. Athletes were now able to sign with marketing agencies — so even if the NCAA allegations against him had been true, he would be eligible now. 

He noted in his 2021 statement that the governing body wouldn’t even return his calls. Clearly, he needed a lawsuit to get their attention.

On Wednesday, the NCAA did not respond to an FOS request for comment.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Baseball

NCAA Settles With Volunteer Baseball Coaches for $49 Million

A similar suit brought by volunteer coaches of other sports remains open.
Adriunna Brown

Business Is Booming for WNBA’s Top Beauty Pros

A network of stylists is shaping how players look, feel, and perform.
Sep 13, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes running back Mark Fletcher Jr. (4) carries the football against South Florida Bulls cornerback Ben Knox (1) during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium.

NCAA Eliminates Spring Transfer Portal Window

The change is aimed at curbing the system of “unrestricted free agency.”

CFB TV Ratings Stay Hot As Georgia-Tennessee Sets ABC High of 12.6M

ABC has had four games that have topped 10 million viewers this season.

Featured Today

Premier Lacrosse League

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 13, 2025

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 13, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back AK Dear (0) tries to outrun Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) during the second half at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Despite Vote Delay, SCORE Act Negotiations Continue on Capitol Hill

Political ad campaigns during college football Saturdays continue as well.
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) looks to pass during the first quarter against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl.
September 15, 2025

UCLA-Tennessee QB Trade Has Been Painful So Far

Iamaleava abruptly left Tennessee for UCLA this past offseason.
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; New Mexico Lobos quarterback Jack Layne (2) reacts after his team scored a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl.
September 15, 2025

UCLA Paid New Mexico $1.2 Million for Friday’s Loss: Payout Game Tracker

The Bruins weren’t the only Power-4 school to lose a buy game and fire their coach.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
September 14, 2025

College Football’s Costly Start for Virginia Tech, UCLA: Coaches Out

UCLA and Virginia Tech fire their coaches while Notre Dame slumps badly.
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., ahead of President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.
September 11, 2025

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Tentatively Planned for Next Week

They didn’t believe they had enough votes to pass the bill.
Jan 25, 2023; Langley, British Columbia, CAN; Highlights from the CHL Kubota Top Prospects game at the Langley Events Centre
September 10, 2025

NCAA Hockey Scouts Denied Passes for Crucial Recruiting League

The CHL won’t welcome scouts on passes: “It comes across as petty.”
Feb 17, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver (5) during the first half against the Boise State Broncos at ExtraMile Arena.
September 10, 2025

NCAA Bans 3 Basketball Players for Violating Betting Rules Last Season

The former San Jose State and Fresno State players have lost eligibility.