Ohio State Alumnus Sues Over Use of His Image

Former National Football League player and current Fox NFL analyst Chris Spielman has filed a federal lawsuit against his alma mater, Ohio State University, claiming his image and those of other athletes were used without permission.

Spielman, 51, was a linebacker for the Ohio State football team in the late 1980s. In his lawsuit, he takes issue with the institution, as well as the sports marketing company IMG College, Honda and Nike.

Honda-branded banners depicting Spielman and other notable members of the team throughout the decades adorn the Ohio State stadium -- but none of the athletes agreed to participate in the advertisements, the lawsuit states.

Nike, in conjunction with the university, has produced vintage jerseys depicting the players as well.

Spielman has requested that the federal court block the use of these images and compensate the players -- he has told news media that he would donate any money from a victory in the case back to the athletic department.

This lawsuit follows a legal win in 2014 by Ed O’Bannon, a former University of California, Los Angeles, basketball player, who sued the National Collegiate Athletic Association for using his and other players’ likenesses without their permission.