Update (July 28, 2021): Reggie Bush will not be receiving his 2005 Heisman Trophy after the NCAA ruled that it would not reinstate his stats or records that were vacated due to violations during his collegiate football career.

The NCAA’s decision comes after The Heisman Trust issued a statement that said it would return Bush’s trophy if the NCAA reinstated the football player’s stats from 2005, the Bleacher Report reported.

However, the NCAA announced on Wednesday that it had no plans to reverse penalties or reinstate the former University of Southern California Trojans running back’s records, ESPN reported.

"Although college athletes can now receive benefits from their names, images and likenesses through activities like endorsements and appearances, NCAA rules still do not permit pay-for-play type arrangements," the NCAA spokesperson said.

"The NCAA infractions process exists to promote fairness in college sports. The rules that govern fair play are voted on, agreed to and expected to be upheld by all NCAA member schools," the spokesperson continued. 

A new policy called NIL, which stands for name, image and likeness went into effect on July 1 and permits college athletes to receive monetary gifts with the use of their name, image and likeness, as Blavity previously reported.

The former New Orleans Saints player figured with the new legislation, it would be the perfect time to ask the NCAA to return his trophy.

Earlier this month, he tweeted that he had reached out to the NCAA and the Heisman Trophy Trust multiple times to demand his trophy be returned, however, he said he was told that he couldn’t be helped.

“It is my strong belief that I won the Heisman trophy ‘solely’ due to my hard work and dedication on the football field and it is also my firm belief that my records should be reinstated,” he said.

In 2010, the Heisman Trophy winner was penalized for accepting gifts that amounted to more than $100,000 from marketing agents while he was a student-athlete playing for the Trojans in 2005.

A four-year investigation found that he and his family received cash, travel expenses and were given a home in San Diego, California. As a result, he was stripped of the award and his USC records from 2005 were removed from NCAA history, ESPN reported. 

He faced further consequences and was asked to disassociate from USC for 10 years, that period ended in June 2020.

Bush’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, said in a statement that he was disappointed with the NCAA’s decision. 

"… The NCAA doubles down on its decade-plus draconian penalty of a teenage kid who had his award taken based upon a sham investigation," Spiro said

"You have to wonder if profiting from kids for this long has clouded the NCAA's judgment as to why we have student athletics in the first place," he continued.

Original (July 3, 2021): Shortly after the NCAA approved a policy to allow college athletes to get paid for the use of their name, image and likeness, former USC star Reggie Bush posted a statement on Twitter demanding that the organization return his Heisman trophy. The 36-year-old, who was punished in 2010 after receiving gifts and worth more than $100,000 from two marketing agents, is also asking the NCAA to now reinstate his records, CBS News reported. 

"It is my strong belief that I won the Heisman trophy 'solely' due to my hard work and dedication on the football field and it is also my firm belief that my records should be reinstated," Bush said in a statement, according to CBS News.

The Heisman trophy winner said he reached out to the NCAA and the Heisman Trust in recent months, but has been unsuccessful in getting his message across.

"We left multiple messages for Michael Comerford, the President of the Heisman Trust, but instead received a call from Rob Whalen, the Executive Director, who stated that Mr. Comerford would not be calling us back and that, in any event, they could not help us," Bush stated.

While handing out the punishment against Bush in 2010, the NCAA also banned USC from bowl games for two years and forced the school to vacate all of the team's wins with Bush. 

According to ESPN,  the Heisman Trust issued a statement on Friday, saying the former Trojan remains ineligible to get the trophy.

"Bush's 2005 season records remain vacated by the NCAA and, as a result, under the rule set forth by the Heisman Trust and stated on the Heisman Ballot, he is not eligible to be awarded the 2005 Heisman Memorial Trophy," the trust said. "Should the NCAA reinstate Bush's 2005 status, the Heisman Trust looks forward to welcoming him back to the Heisman family."

The Heisman Trust said the NCAA's decision to allow athletes to control their name, image and likeness, is a "positive step in the right direction."

"The Heisman Trust supports any legislation that will protect and benefit all student athletes," the trust said.

Bush remains the only player to have ever had a Heisman win vacated, Yahoo reported. 

Dozens of NCAA student-athletes capitalized on endorsement opportunities after the new policy became official on Thursday. Twins Hanna and Haley Cavinder, who have amassed millions of followers on social media while playing basketball at Fresno State in California, signed a major deal with Boost Mobile, according to ESPN.

"It was really exciting that such a known company wanted to work with Hanna and me," Haley Cavinder said. "This is a big switch for all student-athletes. Being able to use your name, image and likeness is something we all deserve, and I'm really thankful the NCAA is finally passing this."

Boost CEO Stephen Stokols said many more student-athletes will get opportunities with the company.

"A lot of these guys are local heroes," Stokols said. "We think it's a big opportunity to get regional and local with relevant names in those markets. We want to be one of the biggest companies embracing [the college-athlete marketplace] early. We hope to play a role in helping to shape it. There is a lot of gray area that will hopefully be more defined a year from now."

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