In a modern era of NIL, where programs need as many boosters to help meet the financial demands of college football, things are not looking good for the USC Trojans. One of the program’s most prominent boosters in recent decades has filed a lawsuit over an alleged “fraudulent” treatment from the university.

Brian Kennedy, the founder of the renowned Southern California billboard company Regency Outdoor Advertising, is suing the University of Southern California with the allegation of “reputation harm,” “embarrassment,” and “humiliation” being caused by recent construction at the school, per The New York Post. The construction led to the demolition of a football field he had built for the program, which is why he is taking legal action.

In the late 1990s, Kennedy funded the $400K construction of what became Brian Kennedy Field under a naming agreement. And based on the agreement, the field was to bear his name “forever.”

Coincidentally, the aftermath of the construction saw the program win two consecutive national championships, which made it a smart investment for Kennedy, as his name was associated with the program’s success.

“For more than two decades,” Kennedy wrote in his suit, “the Field stood as a visible acknowledgment of Plaintiff’s extraordinary contributions to Defendant and the lasting relationship between Plaintiff and the University.”

However, a recent campus renovation saw them demolish the field Kennedy constructed, removing all indications of his contributions to the program. Kennedy also had the lights he installed and the scoreboard he donated for Howard Jones Field torn down. This prompted Kennedy to approach the program to understand the rationale behind their move. Per Inside USC’s Scott Wolf, Kennedy’s request to meet athletic director Jen Cohen came with her sending him an underling instead. Unfortunately, USC’s cold response forced him into this predicament.

“Plaintiff suffered harm as a result of Defendant’s actions,” Kennedy’s lawsuit stated, “including reputational harm, embarrassment, humiliation, and the loss of the benefit of the deal made with Defendant and the condition upon which Plaintiff paid $400,000.”

With his contributions of over $4 million to the program since the 1990s, the suit describes Kennedy as a mega Trojan booster, according to reports. He is also said to have helped the program build the Galen Center, which houses the program’s volleyball and basketball teams, and to have his name attached to a banquet room and a building next to the swimming pool that features offices for the swim, water polo, and golf coaches. Furthermore, he played a role in the return of Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy.

Why USC demolished the Brian Kennedy training field

According to reports from Inside USC, the program wanted more money from Kennedy to retain his name at the football practice field. And with no response coming from him, they moved on with better offers. The reconstruction on campus was made possible by a $50 million donation from the Ronald H. Bloom family to fund a $200 million facility. As a result, the Bloom Football Performance Center has been under construction for a while.

“A state-of-the-art training facility,” the program’s official website described it. “The Bloom Football Performance Center will serve as the new home of Trojan Football and allow USC Athletics to reimagine the John McKay Center to best serve its entire student-athlete population. It is also the centerpiece of the Athletics West capital projects, which include the construction of a new stadium for USC Baseball at Dedeaux Field and a golf program practice area.”

The center includes two full-length outdoor practice fields—one turf and one natural grass—and a three-story building featuring state-of-the-art spaces designed to help USC’s student-athletes reach their peak in all aspects of life.