Jameson Williams Drops Bombshell Lawsuit Against NCAA, Big Ten & SEC

Jameson Williams (Photo Imagn Images)

Jameson Williams Drops Bombshell Lawsuit Against NCAA, Big Ten & SEC

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Lou Flavius | Last updated Apr 28, 2026 7:07 PM ET

Jameson Williams is suing the NCAA, the Big Ten, and the SEC, claiming they profited off him without paying him what he was due.

Williams was drafted No. 12 overall in 2022. He played for two of college football’s most prestigious programs in Ohio State and Alabama before going pro.

According to The California Post, the Detroit Lions wide receiver has filed a lawsuit against the trio of entities in the Los Angeles County court. He alleges that they used his name, image and likeness without compensating him properly

The suit states that the aforementioned bodies used Williams’ NIL “for financial or similar gain or reason without his consent and compensation.”

“To date, Williams has received no fair compensation from Defendants for the full commercial value of his name, image, and likeness,” it reads. “Defendants continuously financially benefit from Jameson Williams’ name, image and likeness rights, while also doing so without providing him with just compensation.”

The 25-year-old is claiming that the NCAA, Big Ten and SEC didn’t allow him to monetize his NIL the way he could have. Furthermore, they continue to use his image on social media posts and in television highlights without compensating him.

He’s now looking to be paid for the cash he would have pocketed had the NCAA permitted him to monetize his NIL while he played in college.

Jameson Williams Got “Zero”

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (Photo via Imagn Images)

The NCAA previously did not allow student athletes to profit from their name, image and likeness until the O’Bannon v. NCAA decision in 2021.

The star wideout charges that, in failing to compensate him, the three entities violated the Cartwright Act. He notes that they have also fallen afoul of the Unfair Practices Act, the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Lanham Act.

“Plaintiff received less — zero — than he otherwise would have received for the use of his name, image, and likeness in a competitive marketplace, and was thus damaged, and seeks to recover those damages,” the suit also notes.

Williams had a career-best 63 receptions, 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns for Detroit last season.

He has been suspended twice since entering the league. He earned a ban for gambling (4 games) in 2023 and another for PES use (2 games) in 2024.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: