The NCAA and two of the college football’s most coveted conferences, the SEC and the Big Ten, are in some hot water after the Detroit Lions wide receiver has filed a lawsuit against them.

Jameson Williams alleges that his name, image, and likeness (NIL) were used without receiving any reimbursement by the California Post on April 27.

Furthermore, Williams is seeking compensation and an injunction barring the NCAA, Big Ten, and SEC from using his NIL “for financial gain or similar gain 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,” Williams’ lawsuit states. “Defendants continuously financially benefit from Jameson Williams’ name, image, and likeness rights, while also doing so without providing him with just compensation.”

Williams' lawsuit also states that these collegiate institutions have been in violation of the Cartwright Act, the Unfair Practices Act, the Sherman Antitrust Act, and the Lanham Act. These institutions have continued to use his image on social media posts and highlight packages on television without compensation. 

“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 lawsuit stated.

Jameson Williams, who’s been a big part of Dan Campbell’s offense, has gone back-to-back seasons with 1,000 receiving yards for the Motor City.

Ultimately, Williams is seeking reimbursement for the financial value he would have received, if the NCAA had allowed him to monetize his NIL throughout his collegiate career. 

Williams' Chances of Winning The Lawsuit

The NCAA had previously prohibited students from profiting off their personal name, image, and likeness until the landmark Supreme Court case, which involved the NCAA and former West Virginia running Back Shawne Alston in 2021. 

NIL was brought into existence after the Supreme Court ruled against the NCAA in NCAA vs Alston. The Lions' wide receiver could use this as precedent to make his case in court. 

Alston won his case 9-0 in a unanimous decision, which allowed athletes to profit from Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and endorsement deals. 

In this case, the NCAA, the Big Ten, and the SEC, three of the most powerful institutions, have allegedly profited from using Williams’ NIL.

As of April 28, there is a decision to be made on ‌how it will play out, as Williams' lawyers have not commented on the case's proceedings.

Read more at the Michigan Football Community

Written by

Samvruth Raj

Edited by

Rishab Nandi