Lawyer, VFL Todd Kelly Jr. discuss consequences of breaking NIL contracts
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — In the wake of former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava leaving Vols, some may be wondering if litigation could follow the player for breaking his NIL contract. In this week's Ask Isaacs, 6 News' Lori Tucker and Attorney Greg Isaacs are joined by VFL Todd Kelly Jr. to discuss the potential legal consequences of breaking contracts.
The question of what consequences Nico Iamaleava could face comes as University of Arkansas's NIL collective hired an attorney to pursue and enforce the buyout clause in Madden Iamaleava's name image and likeness contract, CBS Sports reported.
Lawyer explains current state of NIL after Iamaleava's departure from Tennessee
Nico Iamaleava's younger brother reportedly committed to UCLA, where Iamaleava is headed after leaving Tennessee. Madden Iamaleava previously committed to Arkansas and had a $500,000 contract, the Associated Press reported. The outlet said his contract requires him to pay 50% of the remaining contract value for leaving before the contract expires.
Nico Iamaleava, on the other hand, had a reported $2.4 million NIL contract that was in place for him to Tennessee but left to seek higher pay elsewhere. According to ESPN, Nico Iamaleava's UCLA agreement is paying him less than what he was earning at Tennessee but more than the $1.5 million that some others have reported.
Although NIL contracts differ between schools and sports, there are similar elements that are included for many of these contracts, such as clauses denoting contract length, payment details, and conditions for terminating the agreement or potential fees for breaching the agreement.
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According to the Isaacs Law Firm, lawsuits regarding NIL agreements will likely include allegations of a breach of contract or fraudulent inducement claims.
If you have a legal question, send it to AskIsaacs@wate.com. To watch full episodes of Ask Isaacs, click here.
WATE's Lori Tucker and Attorney Greg Isaacs answer your legal questions from the WATE Alert Desk on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. and on WATE Channel 6 at 5:30 p.m. Ask Isaacs is also streamed live on WATE6+.
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