REPORT: Ja'Kobi Gillespie is taking Maryland NIL collective to court for refusing to pay
In this story:
According to a report by Taylor Lyons of The Baltimore Sun, former Terrapin Ja'Kobi Gillespie is taking a Maryland NIL collective to court for refusing to pay. Gillespie's lawyer and father say that the former Terrapin has not been paid the full amount for the NIL contract he signed with Blueprint Sports.
Via Lyons' report:
"Ja'Kobi was promised he'd still receive his monthly checks regardless of whether he transferred, but that Blueprint now says it will not pay out the remainder of the agreement after he transferred to Tennessee in April."
More reporting today: Ja'Kobi Gillespie is taking a NIL collective Maryland partners with to court. They're refusing to pay him, his lawyer said.
— Taylor Lyons (@taylorjlyons) June 9, 2025
“It makes it look like Willard was right,” @Byrongillespie7
said. “Maybe they don’t have the money.” https://t.co/po4O7M9qoH
The report goes on to say that Gillespie plans to proceed with mediation in court with the collective this month.
The report over Gillespie's dispute with the NIL collective is part of a larger report that details Kevin Willard's chaotic exit from Maryland. It highlights Willard's frustration with the Maryland basketball program early on, along with an ongoing battle between Willard and former athletic director Damon Evans. The report provides a detailed look at how everything went wrong toward the end of Willard's coaching career in College Park, ultimately leading to the departure of both Willard and Evans.
You can read the full report from Lyons here.
Just days after being hired in 2022, Kevin Willard told a Maryland booster "I've never seen a place that cares less about winning in basketball than this."
— Taylor Lyons (@taylorjlyons) June 9, 2025
Inside Willard and Damon Evans' falling out and how Maryland is moving forward. https://t.co/4QzlnWQCj7
- Enjoy more Maryland coverage on Maryland Terrapins On SI -
More Maryland News
Maryland football voted as having one of the easiest Big Ten schedules in 2025
Cardi B joins Stefon Diggs at the University of Maryland for football camp
CBS Sports puts Maryland basketball inside the NCAA Tournament 'bubble' tier for 2025-26
Make sure to follow us on Facebook by clicking HERE
You can also follow our X(Twitter) account by clicking HERE
Christopher Breiler launched Winged Helmet Media and began covering the Michigan Football program in an unofficial capacity in 2017. He then joined Wolverine Digest as part of the FanNation network in 2021 as a contributing writer, where he served as both a writer and a photographer on game days. In 2024, he took over as the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI. In January of 2025, he took over as Publisher for Maryland On SI. His love for Michigan Football brought him into the industry, and his passion for being a content creator has led to some amazing experiences along the way.
Follow TWH_Chris