Why Georgia is in court to seek damages from Damon Wilson’s NIL deal

The Georgia Athletic Association is seeking $390,000 from former Georgia football player Damon Wilson after he transferred to Missouri in January, weeks after agreeing to an NIL deal with the Classic City Collective.

The Classic City Collective, which shut down earlier this year, demanded that Wilson pay liquidated damages, based off the language of the contract. Wilson did not respond, according to online records in Superior Court of Athens-Clarke County.

The UGAAA then served a demand for arbitration on Wilson on Aug. 25, and he again did not respond, court records state. UGAAA holds all rights under agreements formerly held by the collective, Wilson was told in a letter sent to him by attorney Spence Johnson, representing UGAAA.

“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,” Georgia deputy athletic director Steven Drummond said Dec. 5 in a prepared statement given to the Athens Banner-Herald.

The application to compel arbitration was filed in court on Oct. 17. ESPN first reported about the dispute on Dec. 5.

Wilson and the Classic City Collective agreed to a contract worth $500,000, to run from Dec. 1, 2024 to Jan. 31, 2026. Wilson received the first monthly payment of $30,000 on Dec. 25, 2024, court records state.

Wilson was served a summons on Nov. 25 in Missouri and has 30 days to respond.

Wilson, a defensive end, is third in the SEC in sacks with 9 this season for the Tigers. Georgia, meanwhile, is last in the SEC this season with 17 sacks as a team.

Wilson played 26 games for Georgia in 2023 and 2024, registering 3.5 sacks and two caused fumbles. His departure was a blow for a defense that also lost eventual NFL first-rounders Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker after last season.