The 2004 National Championship vacated by the USC Trojans is being claimed by another program.
The Auburn Tigers announced Tuesday they are claiming seven more national titles, one of which is the 2004 championship the Trojans were forced to give up due to an NCAA investigation that found star running back Reggie Bush received illegal benefits.
Bush had his Heisman Trophy returned to him last year, but the school hasn’t received the same treatment for its vacated wins and championship, even though the rules the Trojans broke no longer exist.
While the Bowl Championship Series, the system that crowned champions until 2013, rescinded USC’s 2004 title, the Associated Press never took away the Trojans’ victories.
Auburn and USC both finished undefeated that season, though few outside of the Tigers’ team and fanbase tried to make the case that Auburn was better than the 2004 USC squad, which is considered one of the best in the sport’s history.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) coached the Tigers that year and secured their strongest endorsement for the championship: a top ranking from Golf Digest granted after Tuberville made a joke following the end of the undefeated season.
“That’s something I’ll always cherish,” Tuberville told the Advocate.
