Jameson Williams Files Lawsuit Against NCAA After College Football Career

The introduction of NIL into college athletics in 2021 ushered in a wave of changes throughout the past five years.

The passage of NIL allowed for athletes to earn profits in the multimillion-dollar business that had long profited off them without paying them. While that change was welcome, the handling of NIL both by the NCAA and universities has also created its fair share of legal troubles.

Instead of using college as a developmental bridge, some athletes now seek to maximize their earnings by staying in college longer as opposed to taking a pay cut in professional leagues. The inability to earn at junior colleges and medical hardships are among the reasons athletes have cited in their fights for extra seasons of eligibility, and these legal matters have pushed the NCAA closer to allowing five years of college eligibility for all athletes.

Both universities and athletes have sued one another on the basis of NIL. Athletes have sued universities regarding broken NIL promises, and universities have sued athletes over breaches of contract following agreements upon NIL extensions.

Former college football wide receiver Jameson Williams inserted himself into the legal activity with a new kind of lawsuit this week.

The California Post reported on Monday that Williams decided to sue the NCAA, Big Ten and SEC over allegations of use of his name, image and likeness without pay. The specific complaint involves the use of his collegiate highlights on both social media posts and television commercials without proper compensation.

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

College career