FILE - Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton watches his team during the second half of the Atlantic Coast Conference second round NCAA college basketball tournament game against Virginia Tech, March 13, 2024, in Washington.
Six former Florida State players sue coach Leonard Hamilton over failed NIL payments
Six former Florida State basketball players are suing Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton and alleging he failed to make good on a promise to get each of them $250,000 in name, image and likeness compensation
FILE - Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton watches his team during the second half of the Atlantic Coast Conference second round NCAA college basketball tournament game against Virginia Tech, March 13, 2024, in Washington.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) 69制片厂制作传媒 Six former Florida State basketball players sued Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton on Monday, alleging he failed to make good on a promise to get each of them $250,000 in name, image and likeness compensation.
The plaintiffs 69制片厂制作传媒 Darin Green Jr., De69制片厂制作传媒橝nte Green, Cam69制片厂制作传媒橰on Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears and Jalen Warley 69制片厂制作传媒 filed suit in Leon County Circuit Court. Their attorney, Fort Lauderdale-based Darren Heitner, shared the 20-page complaint with The Associated Press. Yahoo Sports first reported the case.
The former players allege Hamilton promised them the money from his 69制片厂制作传媒渂usiness partners.69制片厂制作传媒 The lawsuit says they walked out of a practice last season over the missed payments and intended to boycott a Feb. 17 game against Duke. They ended up playing 69制片厂制作传媒 the Seminoles lost 76-67 69制片厂制作传媒 amid a guarantee from Hamilton that they would be paid but never were, according to the suit.
69制片厂制作传媒淯pon learning recently of the allegations made by former men69制片厂制作传媒檚 basketball athletes, the university has worked diligently to determine what transpired last season,69制片厂制作传媒 Florida State said in a statement. "Though our inquiry is not yet complete, at this point we know of no unfulfilled commitments by FSU in terms of scholarships or other appropriate benefits or the Rising Spear Collective relative to NIL payments owed to the athletes.
69制片厂制作传媒淲e support Coach Hamilton69制片厂制作传媒檚 right to defend himself against these allegations and look forward to an expeditious resolution of this matter."
The complaint includes multiple text-message exchanges between players and some between players and Hamilton.
FSU finished 17-16 last season, including 10-10 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The 76-year-old Hamilton is in the final year of his contract. The Seminoles are 9-4, including 0-2 in league play, and host Syracuse on Saturday.
None of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit remain with the team. Green and Nickelberry exhausted their college eligibility last spring, and the four others transferred. Spears is now at UTSA, Fletcher is at Xavier, De69制片厂制作传媒橝nte Green is at USF and Warley is at Gonzaga.
The lawsuit is the latest in a growing number of NIL legal fights.
Matthew Sluka, a starting quarterback for the UNLV football team, left the program after three games in September because he was never paid a $100,000 NIL deal. Former Florida quarterback signee Jaden Rashada, now playing at Georgia, sued Gators coach Billy Napier last year over an unpaid $13 million NIL deal. And several Tulsa players claim they were never paid thousands in NIL commitments made by former coach Kevin Wilson.
AP college basketball: and
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