Duke University and quarterback Darian Mensah reached a settlement Tuesday over the terms of his $4 million name, image, and likeness (NIL) contract, ending a brief but high-profile legal dispute and allowing Mensah to transfer for the upcoming football season.
Legal Battle Over NIL Rights
The case erupted just a week ago, when Duke filed suit in North Carolina state court, alleging Mensah breached his NIL agreement by attempting to transfer shortly after leading the Blue Devils to an Atlantic Coast Conference championship. The university secured a restraining order to halt the move and was preparing for an injunction hearing before both parties announced a resolution.
Duke said in a statement: “We are committed to fulfilling all promises and obligations Duke makes to our student-athletes… Enforcing those agreements is a necessary element of ensuring predictability and structure for athletic programs. It is nonetheless a difficult choice to pursue legal action against a student and teammate; for this reason we sought to resolve the matter fairly and quickly.”
