LOS ANGELES — Former Southern California soccer star Reggie Bush has filed a lawsuit towards his college, the NCAA and the Pac-12 in a bid to recoup cash made on his identify, picture and likeness throughout his profession with the Trojans 20 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 identify, picture, and likeness throughout his tenure as a USC soccer participant.”
“This case is not only about searching for justice for Reggie Bush,” legal professional Evan Selik mentioned in a press release. “It’s about setting a precedent for the truthful remedy of all faculty 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.”
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Bush was some of the thrilling gamers in latest faculty soccer historical past throughout his three years at USC from 2003-05 whereas successful 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 large sanctions partly associated to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports activities entrepreneurs. The Heisman Trust restored the honor earlier this 12 months and returned the trophy to Bush, citing elementary adjustments within the construction of school athletics over the previous 14 years.
Bush remains to be pursuing the separate defamation lawsuit he filed towards 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 hot this 12 months.
The varsity 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 guide the present Trojans out of the Coliseum tunnel at an undetermined recreation later this season.
“We respect that the brand new administration at USC is making an attempt to select 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 towards the NCAA. “Nevertheless, the delay in fixing this speaks volumes.”
USC didn’t instantly return a request from The Related Press for touch upon Bush’s new submitting.
Bush is simply the most recent former athlete to hunt compensation by the courts this 12 months for his or her prior athletic careers underneath the brand new guidelines in faculty athletics.
Denard Robinson and Braylon Edwards had been amongst several former Michigan stars who sued the NCAA and the Large Ten Community earlier this month. In June, a group of 10 players on NC State’s 1983 NCAA championship-winning basketball group sued the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Firm to hunt compensation to be used of their names, photographs and likenesses.
The NCAA and main faculty conferences are at the moment trying to settle three antitrust lawsuits associated to NIL compensation for athletes. There’s a settlement agreement in place to pay $2.78 billion to a whole bunch of hundreds of school athletes.
The NCAA modified its guidelines in 2021 to permit athletes to earn cash by sponsorship and endorsement offers after fiercely preventing towards it for many years.
