Reggie Bush's defamation lawsuit against the NCAA picked up a win in Indiana Commercial Court on Wednesday when a a judge denied the NCAA's motion to dismiss the case. Bush is suing the collegiate sports governing body for claiming in 2021 that the former USC star was involved in "pay-for-play arrangements."
"I'm glad the Court did the right thing here applying the relevant facts to the law so we can continue pursuing justice for Reggie and holding the NCAA accountable," said Levi McCathern, Bush's attorney.
The denial of the NCAA's motion to dismiss came from Heather A. Welch, a superior court judge in the NCAA's home jurisdiction of Marion County, Indiana. Bush filed the lawsuit in August 2023, claiming that the NCAA's 2021 statement was "100% not true."
"Not only is it not true, but there is no evidence to even support that claim," Bush said at the time.
The Heisman Trust reinstated Bush's 2005 Heisman Trophy in April, citing "fundamental changes in college athletics" and the arrival of player compensation as an "accepted practice."
Bush, who racked up 3,169 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns in three seasons with the Trojans, had his 2005 Heisman Trophy vacated -- forfeited on his end in 2010 -- and his collegiate records wiped following a high-profile NCAA investigation that determined he and his family members received impermissible benefits -- including cash, travel expenses and a San Diego home -- while Bush played in college.
But Bush has consistently denied that he benefitted from a pay-for-play arrangement as the NCAA's 2021 statement suggested.
