SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey comments on Jaden Rashada lawsuit
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey broke his silence Monday on the bombshell lawsuit by Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada against Florida coach Billy Napier and others. The former UF quarterback signee, now at rival UGA after transferring from Arizona State, has decided to take legal action over his NIL deal gone bad.
Sankey was asked about the lawsuit at SEC’s spring meetings in Destin, Fla.
“I’m not a fan of lawsuits,” Sankey said. “That’s what I think.”
Rashada filed a 37-page complaint last Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida claiming multiple counts of fraud and tortious interference. Napier, former Florida director of NIL and player engagement Marcus Castro-Walker and longtime UF booster Hugh Hathcock are named as defendants.
Napier has yet to publicly comment on the lawsuit himself, but he’ll be addressing the media Tuesday at SEC’s spring meetings.
“Not the only lawsuit involving a coach over the last year, won’t be the last,” Sankey said. “We have a legal system and people have a right to pursue what they view as grievances and the legal system serves that out.”
Florida senior associate athletics director Steve McClain released a statement last week after the Rashada lawsuit was filed.
“We do not comment on ongoing litigation, and neither the University Athletic Association nor the University are named in the complaint. The UAA will provide for Coach Napier’s personal counsel, and we will direct all questions to those representatives.”
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According to the complaint filed by Rashada and obtained by GatorsOnline, Rashada is suing on counts of fraudulent misrepresentation, fraudulent inducement, aiding and abetting fraud, civil conspiracy to commit fraud, negligent misrepresentations, tortious interference, aiding and abetting tortious interference and vicarious liability. The complaint is an unprecedented look into high-level NIL negotiations in college football.
Hathcock’s former company, Velocity Automotive, is also named in the lawsuit. Rashada flipped from Miami to Florida on Nov. 10, 2022, after signing an NIL deal with the now-defunct Gator Collective for $13.85 million over four years.
Less than a month later, the contract was terminated on Dec. 7. Rashada still signed early with UF but never enrolled or reached a new NIL deal, so the school released from his letter of intent and he landed at Arizona State instead.
Rashada started the first two games of 2023 for the Sun Devils, but an injury kept him out for most of the season. He threw for 485 yards on 44 of 82 passing with four touchdowns and three interceptions in three appearances.
