Reggie Bush gets news about forfeited Heisman Trophy

Reggie Bush. Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Heisman Trust's Reggie Bush decision another sign of NCAA's diminishing power

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 4/24/24

The Heisman Trust just stiff-armed the NCAA.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on Wednesday that the Heisman Trust will return Reggie Bush's 2005 Heisman Trophy to him and invite him to future Heisman ceremonies.

During his Heisman-winning season, Bush had 200 carries, 1,740 yards and 16 touchdowns while adding 37 receptions for 478 yards and two more touchdowns.

Previously, the Trust had stated it would only give Bush his award back if the NCAA reinstated his college statistics, which were voided after an investigation found Bush received impermissible benefits while at USC.

"The decision comes amid what the Heisman Trust calls 'enormous changes in the college football landscape," wrote Thamel.

Exclusive: Reggie Bush is getting his 2005 Heisman Trophy back, ESPN has learned, with a formal “reinstatement” of the trophy coming today. The decision comes amid what the Heisman Trust calls “enormous changes in the college football landscape.” https://t.co/ug2Q0rOeh7 pic.twitter.com/dwK7wd3I7b
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 24, 2024

In early March, Johnny Maziel, who won the award in 2012, announced a boycott of the Heisman Trophy ceremony for as long as Bush was disinvited. Days later, the NCAA doubled down on their stubbornness and rejected Bush's "plea to reconsider" the USC case, per CBS Sports.

By circumventing the NCAA, the Heisman Trust has added another crack to the foundation of an institution already on unstable ground.

The NCAA is embroiled in several lawsuits that could dismantle the entire enterprise. The most crucial one is the House vs. NCAA case, which the Associated Press recently reported could cost the organization $4 billion.

It's also been hit with antitrust lawsuits centering on limits placed on how many times a player can transfer.

Earlier this month, Sportico revealed a proposed Super League consisting of 70 permanent members and 10 programs in a relegation division, which could be the ultimate endgame for college football.
The Heisman Trust can see the writing on the wall, and it says that the NCAA is on its last leg. With Bush receiving his much-deserved award, it's as clear as ever that the organization doesn't have the control over college football that it once had.

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