Given the lack of oversight when it comes to NIL in colligate sports, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before we saw a lawsuit over failed promises to student-athletes. That time has come.
According to various reports, Arizona State quarterback Jaden Rashada has sued Florida head coach Billy Napier and a major Florida booster for backing out of a whopping $13.85 million dollar deal, becoming the first colligate player to take such action.
Via ESPN:
Former University of Florida football recruit Jaden Rashada is suing coach Billy Napier, along with a big-time Gator booster and others, claiming they defrauded him out of millions of dollars by backing out of a promised $13.85 million agreement after the quarterback had turned down offers tied to other programs.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday includes an allegation that Rashada signed his national letter of intent to Florida on Dec. 21, 2022, less than an hour after Napier promised the player’s father a $1 million “partial payment” that day upon signing. Rashada never received the $1 million, and the boosters never fulfilled the deal, the lawsuit states.
Rashada claims that he turned down other programs based on the financial promises made by Florida, including a $1 million payment that was supposed be made to Rashada’s father on the day he signed with the Gators. Rashada claims that the $1 million payment was never received, and that he was ultimately defrauded out of nearly $14 million as part of an NIL agreement.
At one point, Rashada was a verbal commit to Miami with a reported $9.5 million NIL deal on the table. In an effort to bring Rashada to Florida, the lawsuit claims that a booster floated a $13.85 million offer over a four-year period. Shortly after the offer was made by the Florida booster, Rashada announced he was flipping his commitment from the Hurricanes to the Gators. Rashada would go on to sign his national letter of intent to play for the Gators, even against the advice of his agents who encouraged him to wait until a written contract was in place for the NIL promises.
Ultimately, Rashada claims he only received $150,000 of the $1 million that was promised up front upon signing with the Gators, which eventually caused the QB to withdraw his letter of intent to play at Florida. Instead, Rashada would end up playing his freshman season at Arizona State, before transferring to Georgia for the 2024 season.
There’s no doubt that these issues are happening far more often than what we see play out in the public light. We know that collectives and boosters are frequently masking pay-for-play promises as “NIL” deals, and that often times both sides fail to fully follow through on the promises made. With Rashada’s lawsuit gaining so much attention, it might help bring some much needed regulation to a world that seemingly operates with no rules.
