Lions star files lawsuit claiming NCAA, conferences unlawfully profited from his likeness

Jameson Williams may have signed an $83 million deal before this past season, but he’s aiming for more.

The Detroit Lions wide receiver is reportedly suing the NCAA, Big Ten and SEC, claiming they have used his name, image and likeness without compensating him for it.

Before being the 12th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Williams starred at Alabama where he shot up draft boards. He had been with Ohio State prior to playing for the Crimson Tide.

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Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia on Nov. 16, 2025. (Matt Rourke/AP)

“To date, Williams has received no fair compensation from Defendants for the full commercial value of his name, image, and likeness. Defendants continuously financially benefit from Jameson Williams’ name, image and likeness rights, while also doing so without providing him with just compensation,” the suit says, according to The California Post.

Williams also reportedly wants the earnings he “would have received” from social media, as well as some of “the game telecast group licensing revenue.”

Alabama’s Jameson Williams is stopped during the first half of the College Football Playoff championship game against Georgia in Indianapolis on Jan. 10, 2022. (Paul Sancya/AP)

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Williams was drafted into the NFL just months after college athletes were finally able to receive NIL money. However, he is claiming that the parties engaged in anti-competitive collusion, predatory pricing, monopolistic practices and deceptive branding in violation of the Cartwright Act, Unfair Practices Act, Sherman Antitrust Act and Lanham Act.

“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 reportedly says.

Williams’ NFL career did not get off to the most convenient of starts, as his torn ACL in the 2022 national championship hurt his draft stock slightly. After returning from the injury at the end of his rookie season, he was then suspended in 2023 for gambling violations.

Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams runs down the sideline on a long pass reception against New Mexico State during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Nov. 13, 2021. (Vasha Hunt/AP)

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Since then, however, he has proven to be one of the game’s best playmakers, recording 123 catches for 2,118 yards and 15 total touchdowns over the past two seasons.

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