Detroit Lions star sues the NCAA and others for NIL money

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams dropped a bomb shell Tuesday when he decided to sue the NCAA, the SEC, and the Big Ten for his naming rights or NIL. According to the California Post, they obtained documents of his lawsuit. “To date, Williams has received no fair compensation from Defendants for the full commercial value of his name, image, and likeness,” Williams contends in the lawsuit.

"[Defendants] continuously financially benefit from Jameson Williams’ name, image and likeness rights, [while] also doing so without [providing] him with just compensation. ” Williams was the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft, and he is seeking compensation for “the social media earnings that [he] would have received but for Defendants’ unlawful conduct,” along with a portion of “the game telecast group licensing revenue” the defendants earned during his playing career. Williams and others just missed out on NIL money, and now, he clearly wants his share.

The lawsuit also adds, “he was not able to sell his name, image, and likeness rights. ” He also alleges that the NCAA, SEC, and the Big Ten continue to use his name, image, and likeness through social media posts and television highlight packages. Williams is suing for violations of the Cartwright Act, the Unfair Practices Act, the Sherman Antitrust Act, and the Lanham Act.

It will be interesting to see if anything comes of this lawsuit and if Williams will actually receive back pay. If he does, it will open the floodgates to more lawsuits. This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Lions star sues the NCAA and others for NIL money