“College Football is Dead”: Billy Napier in Hot Water Over $13.85 Million QB Payment, Florida Nation Seize Troll Opportunity

Is NIL becoming more powerful than the NCAA? Last December, Florida tеrminatеd quartеrback Jadеn Rashada’s National Lеttеr of Intеnt following a highly publicizеd, NIL fuеlеd split. Now, this sеparation is thе subjеct of a lawsuit! At the corе of thе split was a four yеar, $13.85 million contract that played a pivotal role in Rashada switching his commitmеnt from Miami to Florida in November 2022. According to court documents, thе Gators ultimatеly backеd out of thе unprеcеdеntеd NIL collеctivе agrееmеnt and lеft thе quartеrback without a school and millions of dollars short.

Rashada, now at Georgia after a freshman year at Arizona State, lodged a 37-page complaint against HC Billy Napier on Tuesday morning in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. The complaint alleges that he was consistently misled to persuade his commitment switch from Miami to Florida. The lawsuit lists Gators’ head coach Napier, former Florida director of NIL and player engagement Marcus Castro Walker, and prominent UF booster Hugh Hathcock as defendants. The lawsuit also includes Hathcock’s former company, Velocity Automotive, which was supposed to contribute to the financial package.

This news, which went viral on Tuesday, shocked Gators’ fans as they witnessed how NIL has become more important than the college football game itself, leading them to unleash a series of trolls on Twitter.“13 million… college football is dead and the last great team was Michigan,” wrote one fan, trolling the current NIL condition of college football.

Florida Nation gasps at Napier-Rashada NIL lawsuit

According to On3, Rashada is suing on multiple counts, including fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent inducement, aiding and abetting fraud, civil conspiracy to commit fraud, negligent misrepresentation, tortious interference, aiding and abetting tortious interference, and vicarious liability. The complaint provides an unprecedented glimpse into high-level NIL negotiations in college football.

“Crazy stuff. What has college sports become? Very disturbing,” another Gators fan joined the thread, echoing the same sentiments. Meanwhile, another one, taking a jab at Napier’s promise, wrote, “Oh, it’s curtains for Sun Belt Billy [Napier].” Speculating on the outcome of the lawsuit, a user added, “This won’t end well.”  While another fan account chimed in, writing, “Will be an interesting case to follow.”

“Sadly, this type of fraud is becoming more commonplace in the Wild West that is today’s college NIL landscape,” Hardin said in a statement to On3. “Wealthy alumni, consumed by their schools’ athletic programs, are taking advantage of young people by offering them life-changing sums of money, only to renege on their commitments.”

This ongoing lawsuit is shedding light on the potential downsides of NIL agreements and the risks they pose for young athletes involved in these high-stakes deals. The outcome of this case could set an important precedent for future NIL negotiations and the protections for student-athletes.