Former All-Pro Linebacker Sues OSU Over Identity Rights

Chris Spielman, a linebacker at Ohio State who went on to an All-Pro career in the NFL, is suing his alma mater and the sports marketing company it is affiliated with. He is litigating on behalf of himself and other OSU stars whose names and likeness appear on banners advertising Honda and Nike that hang in Ohio State’s stadium, claiming an unlawful conspiracy to deny payments they should lawfully receive. According to the suit, the players never agreed to appear on the banners and weren’t paid for their appearances. It also disputes OSU’s license agreement with Nike to produce vintage OSU jerseys, which depict former Buckeyes stars. It contends that the companies and the University entered into a plot to set the value of the players’ identity rights at zero, which can’t be true since the companies paid the school for them.