Kasey Havekost Quoted in Bloomberg Law Article "Ex-Recruit's Fraud Suit Against Florida Coach Exposes NIL Risks"

The Bloomberg article "Ex-Recruit's Fraud Suit Against Florida Coach Exposes NIL Risks" talks of Jaden Rashada, a quarterback, who has filed a lawsuit claiming that University of Florida boosters and football coach Billy Napier failed to deliver on a promised $13.8 million NIL (name-image-likeness) deal. Rashada alleges he was lured away from a $9.5 million offer from the University of Miami based on false financial promises. This case highlights significant risks and issues in the evolving NIL landscape, which emerged after the NCAA's 2021 decision to allow college athletes to be compensated through NIL agreements.

Bricker Graydon attorney and former NCAA athlete, Kasey Havekost said, “We anticipated something like this would probably come about a few years after NIL became permissible.” She has frequently advised higher ed clients to be mindful about getting involved in NIL activities, including institutional staff members directly communicating with athletes and their representatives about NIL deals, and notes that schools have varied approaches in their NIL program implementation.

Discussing the NCAA’s multibillion-dollar antitrust settlement, Kasey hopes it will push some of the behind-the-curtain deals out in the open. Going on to say that transparency has been a concern, with “a big pushback from athletes” who don’t know what others like them were getting or their market value.

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