Ex-FSU Players Take Legal Action Against Coach Leonard Hamilton Over NIL Payment Dispute

Ex-FSU Players Sue Coach Leonard Hamilton Over Alleged NIL Payment Failures

In a surprising turn of events, six former Florida State basketball players have taken legal action against Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, accuses Hamilton of failing to fulfill a promise to secure $250,000 in name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation for each player. This legal battle adds another chapter to the ongoing saga of NIL disputes in college sports.

The plaintiffs in this case are Darin Green Jr., De’Ante Green, Cam’Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, and Jalen Warley. They filed the suit in Leon County circuit court, with their attorney, Darren Heitner, sharing the 20-page complaint. The players allege that Hamilton promised them the money through his “business partners.”

According to the lawsuit, the players even walked out of a practice last season due to the missed payments and considered boycotting a game against Duke on February 17. Despite their intentions, they ended up playing, and the Seminoles lost the game. The suit claims that Hamilton assured them they would be paid, but the payments never materialized.

Interestingly, no attorney for Hamilton is listed in the lawsuit. Meanwhile, Florida State is set to host Syracuse on Saturday, adding another layer of intrigue to the situation.

The complaint includes multiple text-message exchanges between the players and some between the players and Hamilton. These exchanges could provide crucial evidence in the case as it unfolds.

Last season, FSU finished with a 17-16 record, including a 10-10 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Coach Hamilton, now 76 years old, is in the final year of his contract. The Seminoles currently hold a 9-4 record, with a 0-2 start in league play.

None of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit remain with the team. Darin Green and Nickelberry have exhausted their college eligibility, while the other four players have transferred to different programs. Spears is now at UTSA, Fletcher is at Xavier, De’Ante Green is at South Florida, and Warley is redshirting at Gonzaga.

Growing Trend of NIL Legal Battles

This lawsuit is just one of many NIL-related legal battles that have emerged in recent years. Here are a few other notable cases:

• Matthew Sluka, a starting quarterback for the UNLV football team, left the program after three games in September, citing an unpaid $100,000 NIL deal.
• Former Florida quarterback signee Jaden Rashada, now playing at Georgia, sued Gators coach Billy Napier over an alleged unpaid $13 million NIL deal.
• Several Tulsa players claim they were never paid thousands in NIL commitments made by former coach Kevin Wilson.

These cases highlight the complexities and challenges surrounding NIL agreements in college sports. As the landscape continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these legal battles shape the future of NIL compensation for student-athletes.