NFL players are also adding to the NCAA’s already full plate when it comes to NIL complaints. Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams is suing the organization, along with the SEC and the Big Ten conference, for profiting off him during his collegiate years. Had NIL not become so prominent in the college ranks today, the NCAA could have avoided this lawsuit.

According to the New York Post, Williams claimed that the “[defendants] continuously financially benefit from Jameson Williams’ name, image, and likeness rights, while also doing so without providing him with just compensation.” The Lions WR is also seeking an injunction to keep the three entities from making any “financial or any similar gain or reason without his consent and compensation.”

Previously, student-athletes were barred from monetizing their names, images, and likenesses. But the norm changed in 2021, thanks to the historic O’Bannon v. NCAA decision. Williams never got an opportunity to make the kind of money college athletes are making today. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith leads the market value for wide receivers at $4.2 million. Williams comes from the same program.

The WR started his college career with the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2019 to 2020 and recorded 266 yards and three touchdowns on 15 total receptions across 10 combined games in Columbus. He then burst onto the scene in 2021 by leading the SEC with 1,572 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns before tearing his ACL in the national title game against Georgia. A WR like him could have easily warranted a good NIL deal during his time if he had chosen to forego the draft in 2022.

“Plaintiff received less – zero – than he otherwise would have received for the use of his name, image, and likeness in a competitive marketplace, and was thus damaged, and seeks to recover those damages,” Williams’ lawsuit claimed.

Williams’ lawsuit formally cited the NCAA, Big Ten, and SEC for violating the Cartwright Act, the Unfair Practices Act, the Sherman Antitrust Act, and the Lanham Act. They hold the parties liable for being involved in anti-competitive collusion, predatory pricing, monopolistic practices, and deceptive branding.

The NCAA has seen a hit-and-miss record when it comes to cases like this, because NIL forms the ground for most eligibility cases. The biggest one was fought by former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who ultimately won an injunction against the organization. Ole Miss Rebels QB Trinidad Chambliss was also granted one, which is worth $1.7 million in NIL today. However, the NCAA has been successful in denying eligibility to former Tennessee Volunteers QB Joey Aguilar and Alabama basketball’s Charles Bedaiko.

Jameson Williams’s case isn’t the most prolific one faced by the NCAA. Former USC Trojans and New Orleans Saints star Reggie Bush continues his two-decade-long battle with the sporting body.

Reggie Bush permitted to continue his legal battle against the NCAA

In September 2024, Reggie Bush, like Jameson Williams, filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, USC, and the Pac-12, seeking compensation for the use of his NIL during his collegiate career. The suit alleges these organizations profited millions from his likeness while he was uncompensated, aiming to address the injustice of his 2010 NCAA penalties.

Bush alleged the sporting body violated the Cartwright Act, which the court ruled that there was a sufficient claim for a cause of action. Bush also claimed a violation of California’s Unfair Practices Act.

The NCAA has been pushing for the lawsuit’s dismissal based on the issue being beyond the statute of limitations and that the alleged wrongdoing occurred over 15 years before NIL was legalized. However, in January 2026, a judge ruled that Bush can proceed with a lawsuit against the university, the NCAA, and the Pac-12 Conference.

Both Jameson Williams and Reggie Bush represent a growing wave of athletes demanding accountability from the NCAA for years of unpaid NIL use. The latter, however, has instead been vocal about bringing more control toward NIL use in college sports, and has also received a boost after Donald Trump signed executive orders targeting this phenomenon. This also comes amid the debate surrounding college athletes and the refusal of the NCAA to treat them as ’employees,’ which would formally bring labor laws into the picture.

Only time will tell if Williams gets the go-ahead to pursue the three entities more aggressively. The NCAA, Big Ten, and the SEC better watch out, since there is precedent for this to go to court.