Failed $13.85 million NIL deal prompts Florida Gators lawsuit
The big story: Here’s a cautionary tale as the Florida High School Athletics Association ponders rules for allowing student-athletes to benefit financially from use of their name, image and likeness.
A former University of Florida football recruit has sued the university and coach Billy Napier over an NIL deal gone sour.
Quarterback Jaden Rashada, who now plays for the University of Georgia, alleges that he never received payment for a $13.85 million, four-year deal to play at UF. He says he turned down $9.5 million from the University of Miami in favor of the more lucrative agreement that did not come to fruition.
The suit called the case “emblematic of the abuses running rampant in the world of big-time college football.” Read more here.
Hot topics
Board politics: An Indian River County school board member proposed revising policy to allow the board to oust its chairperson and vice chairperson mid-term, if deemed necessary, TC Palm reports. The board majority recently shifted. No decision was reached.
Campus closures: More than 100 Duval County residents signed up to urge school district officials to find other ways than school closures to deal with budget gaps, WJXT reports.
Charter schools: The Alachua County school board approved a new charter school application with the caveat that the school ensures it has a feasible budget before its contract comes up for consideration, MainStreet Daily News reports.
College leadership: Northwest Florida State College trustees made a surprising pick for the school’s interim president post, bypassing a former official from the DeSantis administration, News Service of Florida reports.
Crowding: The Lake County school district has proposed shifting school attendance zones as it opens a new school to cope with crowding, the Daily Commercial reports.
Hurricane repairs: Lee County’s historic Bonita Springs Elementary School, severely damaged by Hurricane Ian, is up for a major remodeling, WBBH reports. Residents want the district to preserve as much of the 1921 school as possible.
Sarasota scandal: Sarasota County residents repeated calls for school board member Bridget Ziegler to resign amid new details of a sex scandal, the Herald-Tribune reports. Ziegler did not attend the meeting.
School safety: A Flagler County middle school was locked down after receiving its fifth bomb threat in five school days, Spectrum 13 reports.
Student-athletes: Three Broward County high school administrators were cleared of accusations that they violated state law by permitting a transgender student-athlete to play on the school’s girls volleyball team, the Sun-Sentinel reports.
Superintendents: Questions swirl about the circumstances behind the abrupt resignation of one of Duval County’s superintendent finalists from his previous job in Lee County, Jacksonville Today reports. The district is expected to pick a superintendent this week. • The Broward County school board reached a reduced separation agreement with outgoing superintendent Peter Licata, who resigned after 10 months on the job, WTVJ reports.
Teacher pay: DeSoto County teachers would get a $2,000 raise, and their minimum base pay would increase to $50,000, under a new tentative contract agreement with the district, WFTX reports.
From the police blotter ... A Pinellas County teen was arrested on allegations of sending school shooting threats to teachers, WFLA reports.
Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup.
Before you go ... Maybe you only recognize Daniel Radcliffe. But all three of these actors are Tony nominated for their roles in “Merrily We Roll Along.”
