University of Missouri student-athlete Damon Wilson is being sued by the University of Georgia for more than $300,000 for transferring from the school after signing a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal two weeks before leaving for Missouri.
According to ESPN, the University of Georgia Athletic Association (UGAAA) has filed legal paperwork requesting $390,000 in damages from the defensive end. The athletic association wants that amount as a buyout fee.
Wilson played two years with Georgia and transferred to Missouri two weeks after signing the new deal with Georgia’s Classic City Collective.
“When the University of Georgia Athletic Association enters binding agreements with student-athletes, we honor our commitments and expect student-athletes to do the same,” athletics spokesperson Steven Drummond said in a written statement to ESPN.
Georgia paid Wilson a total of $30,000 under the contract; the school says Wilson owes $390,000 in a lump sum within 30 days of his nullification of the deal.
The association said that Wilson signed a term sheet for a 14-month contract worth $ 500,000 in December 2024. He was to receive $30,000 monthly with two bonus payments of $40,000. The deal stipulated that if Wilson withdrew from the football team or entered the transfer portal, he would owe a lump-sum payment equal to the remaining money he’d have received if he’d stayed through the end of the deal.
“After all the facts come out, people will be shocked at how the University of Georgia treated a student athlete,” said Bogdan Susan, Wilson’s attorney, who is representing Wilson along with Jeff Jensen. “It has never been about the money for Damon; he just wants to play the game he loves and pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.”
An arbitrator will decide the case.
Georgia did just fine without Wilson, winning
the SEC Championship Game, 28-7, against the University of Alabama over the weekend.RELATED CONTENT: Shilo Sanders Sued By Former Law Firm For $164K For Unpaid Bill