As “name, image, and likeness” policies, referred to as NIL, continue to change the landscape of college athletics, a new question has been posed for players and teams across the country: what happens when these NIL promises are not fulfilled?
In 2021, the NCAA implemented policies allowing college athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness through sponsorship deals. Previously, college athletes were deemed “amateurs” in the eyes of the NCAA, surrendering their NIL rights at the feet of collegiate athletics’ governing body.
Now, college athletes can be seen advertising for companies such as Nike, Barstool Sports, and local HVAC companies (true story), leveraging their collegiate athletic stardom in profitable business ventures.
FSU athletes are no strangers to the NIL game, with stars like Jared Verse — my top NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate — inking deals with brands like Powerade. Former FSU QB and current New York Jet Jordan Travis (we miss you) used his NIL partnerships to release apparel throughout the 2023 football season, resulting in a short-lived internet beef with the Tiger King.
NIL (and its somewhat ambiguous regulation with laws varying by state) has been a target of criticism since its inception for its commercialization of college athletics. More recently, NIL has been cited in many legal battles, the latest involving six former FSU basketball players and Seminoles Head Coach Leonard Hamilton.
On Dec. 30, 2024, Primo Spears, Jalen Warley, Josh Nickelberry, Cam’Ron Fletcher, Darin Green Jr., and De’Ante Green filed suit against Hamilton for his failure to fulfill his promise of $250,000 NIL packages for each player. The ex-Seminoles allege that Hamilton affirmed his promises several times throughout the season, with two of the men transferring into FSU with the understanding that they would be provided the NIL compensation.
The players even anticipated to boycott FSU’s home game against Duke, only playing after being assured that the $250,000 transaction would occur in the next week. Per Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, multiple text messages and conversations between the players, Hamilton, and Will Cowen, an executive for one of FSU’s NIL collectives, indicate that the players needed the money to fund their rent, taxes, and car payments, with Green texting Cowen that “…this money situation is weighing on a lot of guys and affecting guys on the court.”
The lawsuit accuses Coach Hamilton of breach of contract and “fraudulent” and “negligent misrepresentations.”
FSU’s response to the lawsuit came as a statement that voiced support for Hamilton and denied any knowledge of “unfulfilled commitments” regarding NIL payments through the university’s NIL collective, Rising Spear.
The bombshell allegations against Coach Hamilton echo popular concerns about the chaotic, largely unregulated nature of NIL funding within collegiate athletics. In May 2024, former UF QB Jalen Rashada sued Head Coach Billy Napier for violating a $13.85 million NIL deal. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) lost its starting QB three (undefeated) games into the season when he entered the transfer portal because of unfulfilled NIL promises.
This growing laundry list of athlete grievances concerning NIL compensation highlights a need for increased regulation on how athletic teams coordinate funding with their NIL collectives and how they communicate this to current athletes and potential recruits.
Nole Basketball is back at the Tuck for the 2025 season, securing wins against conference rivals Syracuse, Miami, and Pittsburgh. None of the six plaintiffs in December’s lawsuit are on the 24-25 roster. It’s undetermined thus far if the lawsuit will reach court or when it may receive a trial.
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