On Friday, the NCAA will reportedly release the findings on its investigation into the USC football and basketball programs. Included in the report would be what -- if any -- sanctions are to be levied on the football side of the equation.
The report may also conclude that Reggie Bush is retroactively ineligible, if the results of the lengthy probe determined that the former USC running back received illegal benefits while a student-athlete at the school.
If Bush is declared retroactively ineligible -- and no one has a clue right now whether he will or won’t -- it could then trigger the process that would determine whether or not he gets to keep a significant piece of hardware.
According to a series of tweets from ESPN.com‘s Joe Schad, the Heisman Trophy Trust holds monthly meetings; they have yet to hold a meeting in the month of June.
Schad tweeted that “if Reggie Bush is ruled retroactively ineligible expect it to be reviewed later in June.” Later, Schad got more specific, tweeting that the trust “could review Bush Trophy June 8", and that it’s “very likely 6 of 8 votes would be required” to strip the current New Orleans Saints back of his 2005 trophy.
Armed with the knowledge that “the charitable work Reggie Bush has done since leaving USC could be taken into consideration by [the] Heisman Trophy Trust”, Schad feels that Bush “won’t lose his trophy.”
Whether that would -- or should -- happen remains to be seen.