Former Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor is suing school, Big Ten and NCAA over denied NIL compensation

Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor sued his alma mater, the NCAA and the Big Ten over denial of name, image and likeness compensation during his college career, according to a filing Friday in federal court in Ohio filed lawsuit.

Pryor's lawsuit follows former USC star and Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush filing a similar lawsuit against his former school and the NCAA, as well as several former Michigan players filing against the NCAA and the Big Ten Network.

“For many years and continuing to this day, Defendants have systematically and intentionally abused the publicity rights and NIL of Plaintiffs and similarly situated individuals, thereby collecting millions, if not billions, of dollars from Plaintiffs and the Class. “ says the lawsuit.

“Meanwhile, the student-athletes themselves were not only prevented from exercising their advertising rights, but they were also penalized for doing so by the rules the NCAA imposed on them in order for them to participate.”

Pryor was one of the most famous and highly rated high school recruits when he signed with Ohio State out of Pennsylvania. His college career ended amid an NCAA investigation into rules violations by Pryor and some of his teammates for trading their gear, memorabilia and autographs for tattoos and cash.

Instead of serving a possible five-game suspension in his senior year, Pryor entered the 2011 NFL Supplemental Draft. He was selected by the Raiders and received a five-game suspension to begin his NFL career.

Ohio State declined to comment on the pending litigation.

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The class action lawsuit, filed with the Southern District of Ohio Eastern Division, also names Learfield Communications, a company that works with hundreds of schools on licensing and marketing deals. Pryor is the only named plaintiff and the damages sought were unspecified.

The lawsuit, like the Bush and Michigan lawsuits, alleges that the NCAA, the conference and the school continue to profit from the exploits of Pryor and other former Buckeyes.

“Repetitions of historic moments from the past constitute a large portion of Defendants’ promotional activities and revenue streams, and former players have never been compensated for this continued use of the names, images and likenesses,” the lawsuit states.

The NCAA allowed athletes to monetize their NIL starting in 2021 and is currently trying to settle a series of $2.78 billion antitrust lawsuits related to the denied NIL compensation. The plaintiffs in these class actions entitled to damages date back to 2016.

During his time as a Buckeye, Pryor passed for 6,177 yards, ran for 2,164 and scored 74 touchdowns.

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(Photo: Jamie Sabau / Getty Images)