Former Louisville Guard Among Players Filing NIL Lawsuit Against Leonard Hamilton

Six players are suing FSU's head coach over $1.5 million in unpaid NIL payments.

Jan 22, 2020; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Josh Nickelberry (20) reacts during the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at KFC Yum! Center. Louisville defeated Georgia Tech 68-64. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images / Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Given the current volatile climate on the name, image and likeness front of collegiate athletics, over the last several months, we have started to see lawsuits pop up across the nation in regarding NIL - specifically with unfulfilled NIL promises.

Now, a former Louisville men's basketball player is getting in on the lawsuit action.

In a story published Monday by Yahoo! Sports, Josh Nickelberry is one of six former Florida State players that have filed a lawsuit against Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton. Nickelberry started his career at Louisville before transferring to La Salle and later FSU.

In the suit, the players allege that Hamilton promised $1.5 million - $250,000 to each player - from his "business partners," only to never receiver the money after multiple assurances by Hamilton and Will Cowen - an executive for one of FSU's NIL collectives. The suit brings forth counts of breach of contract, promissory estoppel, fraudulent misrepresentation and inducement, and negligent misrepresentations.

According to Yahoo! Sports, texts between Nickelberry and both Hamilton and Cowen from this past summer were included in the lawsuit. In June, Cowen told Nickelberry he had just left a meeting with Hamilton, and that his donors were ready to help, only for that to never come. In July, Nickelberry lamented to Hamilton regarding the lack of payment.

“Tired of the lies coach. It’s messing with my head,” Nickelberry texted Hamilton.

The lawsuit also reveals that FSU's players walked out of a practice ahead of the Noles' game vs. Duke this past February, and planned on boycotting the game entirely due to the lack of payment. Hamilton found out, assured in a team meeting that payment would come the next week, and the players took part in the game against the Blue Devils - a 76-67 loss.

Nickelberry was part of Louisville's 2019 recruiting class, and spent his first two seasons in college with the Cardinals. However, he played just 24 total games as a Card, averaging 1.5 points per game.

He spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with La Salle, where he had his best showings in college, averaging 11.0 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and being named the A10 Sixth Man of the Year as a redshirt junior. He then played 32 games this past season at FSU, but averaged just 9.3 minutes and 2.5 points per game.

(Photo of Josh Nickelberry: Jamie Rhodes - Imagn Images)

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