Six ex-Florida State basketball players have taken legal action against their former coach, Leonard Hamilton, for not honoring promises of NIL compensation totaling $1.5 million. They revealed in court documents that they boycotted a practice last season due to the unpaid payments. The lawsuit, filed in Florida’s Leon County circuit court, is remarkable in the realm of athlete compensation as half of a former team levels allegations against a prominent college basketball coach. The six players – Darin Green Jr., Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, Cam’Ron Fletcher, De’Ante Green, and Jalen Warley – claim that Hamilton assured each of them $250,000 in NIL payments from his associates. Despite promises made in team meetings and individual talks with players and their families, the payments were never received. Certain players joined Florida State with the expectation of this money. Text messages exchanged among players, with Hamilton, and with executive Will Cowen of an NIL collective serve as proof of these assurances. The players, expressing their need for the funds for various expenses, informed Cowen and Hamilton that the delay was causing distress. During a practice before a game against Duke, the players walked out in frustration over the unpaid promises, planning to boycott the game as well. Hamilton intervened and guaranteed the money would be in their accounts the following week. The players ultimately played the game and lost to Duke. Green texted Cowen during the season about the impact of the situation on the players. The plaintiffs are no longer with the team; some transferred due to the non-payment issue. The lawsuit sheds light on the disorder within college athletics’ NIL landscape where funding from boosters and coaches can be uncertain.
Matthew Sluka, a starting quarterback for a top-25 UNLV football team, departed from the program claiming that a coach had promised him a $100,000 NIL deal which he never received. Similarly, Jaden Rashada, a former Florida quarterback commit now playing at Georgia, filed a lawsuit against Gators coach Billy Napier for not receiving a promised $13 million NIL payment during his recruitment. At Tulsa, multiple players allege they were not paid thousands of dollars as promised in NIL commitments made by former coach Kevin Wilson.
The relationship between coaches and booster-backed NIL collectives has been fraught with challenges since the inception of the NIL era in July 2021. State laws compelled the NCAA to allow athletes to earn compensation through endorsement deals, leading to a complex system where school donors pool funds to distribute to athletes. However, struggles persist in fulfilling commitments, prompting some athletes to seek financial assistance from their institutions, despite NCAA guidelines.
The upcoming months are expected to bring significant changes to NCAA history as the organization transitions into athlete revenue sharing. As part of the House settlement agreement, schools will soon be able to directly pay their athletes, shifting the player compensation system from boosters to the institution. In preparation for this new era, coaches are accepting salary reductions to support their rosters, with examples like Florida State football coach Mike Norvell agreeing to a $4.5 million reduction in his 2025 salary.
Meanwhile, the basketball program faces the latest NIL-related issue in the sport. A lawsuit has been filed against a coach for failing to fulfill promised NIL payments, resulting in significant losses for the players involved. The lawsuit includes claims of breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentation, and other legal violations, seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, and interest.
Attorney Darren Heitner, representing the plaintiffs, emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for their promises. He stated that the lawsuit aims to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future and to ensure that those who make commitments are held responsible for their actions.
At FSU or elsewhere,”The lawsuit details reveal fascinating insights into the impact of NIL on team dynamics mid-season. For example, disgruntled players expressed frustration in a group text about broken NIL promises from last season, with one player noting, “[They] messed up by claiming we would get 200k.” These promises stemmed from an “NIL meeting” in April 2023 where Coach Hamilton assured players they would each receive $250,000 by March 2024. The players, including the plaintiffs, relied on these promises when deciding to join or stay at FSU for the season. However, as the season progressed, players grew increasingly frustrated with Hamilton’s unfulfilled commitments.
Former FSU guard Primo Spears is among the players suing Coach Leonard Hamilton. The suit alleges that a boycott of practice before a game against Duke left the coach “panicked.” A meeting was held where Hamilton reiterated that a private company, his business partners, would deliver the $250,000 payments the following week, motivating players to compete against Duke. Despite this, the payments never materialized. Players reached out to Cowen in the following weeks, expressing their disappointment and desperation to receive the promised funds before considering transferring.
Cowen’s messages to players conveyed his efforts to secure the payments but painted a bleak picture of the situation. He mentioned meeting with top donors and trying to secure more funds daily, yet the promises continued to go unfulfilled. In exchanges with the players, Cowen acknowledged the failure of the promises made and the challenges faced in obtaining the funds. He also indicated that coaches were no longer allowed to promise NIL payments, suggesting that FSU administrators had intervened.
In a recent exchange included in the lawsuit, Cowen informed Nickelberry that Hamilton’s “donors” were prepared to assist, only to retract the statement the following week. Despite Nickelberry’s financial struggles after completing his final season without the promised amount, Hamilton did not confirm the promises in writing. The text exchange between Nickelberry and Hamilton in July highlighted the player’s frustration with the situation and Hamilton’s vague response to address the issue.”
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