Firm Lawyer Interviewed by ABC7 About Jaden Rashada Case
May 22, 2024 – Senior Counsel Mike Levinson was interviewed by San Francisco television station ABC7 for his thoughts on the Jaden Rashada case filed today, the rise of NIL, and the current state of the NCAA.
Rashada was a highly sought-after quarterback who was recruited by numerous football powerhouses throughout the country while attending Pittsburg High School in the Bay Area. In June 2022, he committed to sign with the University of Miami where he was to receive a name, image, and likeness (“NIL”) deal purportedly worth $9.5 million. Rashada never actually signed with Miami, but instead signed with rival school the University of Florida shortly before signing day in December 2022 for an even more lucrative NIL deal allegedly worth $13.85 million. Rashada claims he only received $150,000 of what was promised to him though. As a result, he requested a release from his signed letter of intent with Florida, which was granted, and committed to Arizona State University instead. Rashada played his freshman season at ASU but has since transferred to the University of Georgia.
In his lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida against Florida’s head football coach Billy Napier and others who helped induce Rashada to sign with Florida based on promises of money, Rashada has brought claims for fraud, conspiracy, and tortious interference with a business relationship. He asserts he is not receiving any NIL money from Georgia and is seeking over $10 million in damages.
The case is the first of its kind involving a college athlete suing a coach or booster to enforce terms of an NIL deal and will surely be monitored closely by college athletes, schools, and third-party collectives nationwide.
Phillips, Erlewine, Given & Carlin LLP is well-versed in the rapidly changing world of college sports and has decades of experience handling commercial, entertainment, and sports disputes. If you are a college athlete that has been the victim of false promises related to NIL payouts, contact our attorneys today to explore your options.