Clawback Provision
In plain English
A clawback lets the brand take back money it already paid you if certain bad things happen — usually a morality violation or breach.
Full definition
A clawback provision allows the brand to recover compensation already paid to the athlete upon a defined trigger — most commonly a morality-clause violation, a material breach, loss of NCAA eligibility, or a NIL Go rejection. Clawbacks are the most athlete-hostile provisions in NIL deals because they convert earned compensation into contingent compensation. The most aggressive clawbacks demand return of the full signing bonus on any termination for cause; more athlete-protective drafting limits clawback to compensation earned in the period the breach occurred, and excludes payment for services already performed (e.g., posts already published cannot be "unposted"). Athletes should fight any clawback aggressive enough to create personal-debt exposure, and ensure the clawback is conditioned on a final, non-appealable determination of breach. The Damon Wilson / Georgia case (a $390,000 clawback over alleged morality-clause breach) is the canonical cautionary tale.
What it looks like in a contract
Upon any termination of this Agreement by Company for cause under Section 9, Athlete shall repay to Company any signing bonus paid hereunder, pro-rated for the number of months remaining in the initial Term as of the effective date of termination.
Synthesised from common contract patterns. Not lifted from any specific real contract.
How RevU helps
RevU's NIL contract analyzer detects clawback provision provisions automatically — flagging the exact triggering language, scoring athlete-vs-brand friendliness, and surfacing negotiation leverage where it exists. See How RevU flags clawback exposure for the full product context.
Check your contract freeRelated terms
Morality Clause
A morality clause lets the brand end your deal and sometimes claw back money if they decide your behaviour hurts their reputation.
Liquidated Damages
Liquidated damages are a predetermined amount you have to pay if you breach the contract — fixed in advance instead of calculated later.
Termination for Cause
Termination for cause lets one side end the contract because the other side breached it — usually after a notice and cure window.
Indemnification
Indemnification is a promise that one side will cover the other side's legal costs and damages if certain bad things happen.