Jaden Rashada flipped his commitment to the Florida Gators and
signed an NIL deal with Gator Collective for $13.85 million over four years, according to The Athletic.
The deal called for a $500,000 initial payment, with increasing monthly payments each year. Rashada had to reside in Gainesville, Fla., make branded Twitter and Instagram posts once a month, participate in up to eight fan engagement events per year and autograph up to 15 pieces of merchandise per year. The contract also stated that the collective can “in its sole and absolute discretion” terminate the agreement “without penalty or further obligation,” according to The Athletic.
The initial payment of $500,000 was due on Dec. 5, before Rashada was expected to enroll at Florida. That payment never came, and Tulane law school professor Gabe Feldman indicated that NCAA policy would have been violated if the first payment went through.
“Just the contact with the athlete prior to enrollment and using it as recruiting inducement, that seems pretty cut and dry based on timing,” Feldman said via The Athletic. “Under every version of the NCAA policy, that’s problematic.”
Two days after the payment was due, the Gator Collective terminated the agreement with Rashada. In the contract, it states the Collective can terminate the deal if it is found to violate Florida Law, school rules, or if Rashada doesn’t reside in Gainesville, according to The Athletic.
Initially, Rashada still planned on attending Florida, but there was a lack of trust. Rashada eventually committed to Arizona State, where there will be no NIL arrangement, according to someone with knowledge of the school’s collective, via The Athletic.
