Four months after a judge ruled Reggie Bush can move forward with his claims against the NCAA, USC and Pac-12 Conference in a lawsuit in which the former USC running back alleges he is owed money for the use of his name, image, and likeness, university attorneys contend he is impeding discovery.
The Los Angeles Superior Court complaint contends USC, Pac-12, and NCAA profited significantly from television contracts, merchandise sales and media rights stemming from the 2005 Heisman Trophy-winning player’s football career, for which he was not compensated due to NCAA regulations at the time.
USC lawyers say that after Judge Colin Leis ruled in January that Bush could proceed with his case and that discovery should move forward, the former Trojan star is now the one hindering the information sharing by not producing NIL-related documents USC lawyers are seeking.
“Now (Bush) has done exactly what he told the court should not happen, he has systematically refused to satisfy his most basic discovery obligations for over a year,” the USC lawyers contend in their pleadings.
While Bush did turn over “belated and insufficient” responses in February, almost a year after the university served its first request, even sanctioning by the court has not helped and Bush has not changed his tune, according to the USC attorneys’ court papers.
The documents sought by USC, and that allegedly have not been produced to the extent requested, are all federal and state tax returns and all documents and communications relating to any compensation received during the post- enrollment and USC periods, including NIL-related compensation, as well as all documents and communications relating to compensation from sports marketer Lloyd Lake, San Diego businessman Michael Michaels or NFL marketing representative Michael Ornstein.
Under law, USC is entitled to complete production in response to its production requests because Bush has waived all objections, according to the USC attorneys, who further contend in their court papers that the university is entitled to nearly $9,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs. A hearing on USC’s motion is scheduled Feb. 4, 2027.
According to the suit, USC, Pac-12 and NCAA profited greatly from television contracts, merchandise sales and media rights stemming from Bush’s football career, for which he was not compensated due to NCAA regulations at the time.
“And while Bush received the accolades, defendants NCAA, USC, and the Pac-12 Conference received all the money,” the suit states. “Millions upon millions of dollars of money, all derived directly from Reggie Bush’s name, image and likeness. To this day, all defendants continue to profit from Reggie Bush’s name, image, and likeness without compensating Bush one penny.”
Bush’s hard work as a college athlete “translated into billion-dollar television deals, multi-million-dollar coaching salaries, extravagant facilities, and lucrative commercial licensing and sponsorship agreements that greatly benefit the NCAA, USC and the Pac-12,” the suit states.
Bush, now 41, helped lead USC to two national championships when he played for the Trojans from 2003 to 2005.
Bush’s Heisman was stripped from him in 2010 amid an improper benefits scandal — but in April 2024, The Heisman Trust announced it was returning the honor to him. The organization said it was making a formal “reinstatement” of the trophy to Bush in response to what it called “enormous changes in the college football landscape,” specifically rule changes allowing players to land lucrative endorsement deals and payment for the use of their name and image.