ATLANTA — The University of Georgia’s athletic association is taking a former standout defensive end to court to try and get nearly $400,000 back from him after he transferred to another school.
Former Bulldog Damon Wilson transferred out of UGA to become the top pass rusher on the Missouri Tigers’ defensive line.
In court documents filed last month, the University of Georgia Athletic Association said the Classic City Collective “obtained a license to use Wilson’s name, image, and likeness in exchange for payment of fees over the life of the Agreement,” and that “Wilson promised to pay the Collective liquidated damages ‘equal to all remaining Licensing Fees that would otherwise have been payable to [him] under the Agreement.’”
Wilson notified UGA on Jan. 6, 2025, of his intent to transfer and “withdrew from UGA on January 13, 2025, and left the football team the next day.”
Wilson had played for UGA as a freshman and sophomore before transferring, just two weeks after signing a new deal with the Classic City Collective.
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“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 statement to ESPN on Friday.
Wilson was served last week with a court summons.
“After all the facts come out, people will be shocked at how the University of Georgia treated a student athlete,” Bogdan Susan, a Missouri-based attorney representing Wilson, told ESPN. “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.”
The university’s filing shows Wilson received his first $30,000 payment on Dec. 24, 2024. Less than two weeks later, he declared his plans to transfer.
“Legal experts say Georgia’s attorneys will have to convince an arbitrator that $390,000 in damages is a reasonable assessment of the harm the athletic department suffered due to Wilson’s departure. Liquidated damages are not legally allowed to be used as punishment or primarily as an incentive to keep someone from breaking a contract,” ESPN reported.
ESPN reports that Wilson’s case could help set a precedent “on whether liquidated damages clauses will serve as an effective, defensible substitute for more traditional buyout fees.”
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