The Xavier Lucas-Wisconsin saga is far from over. Early Friday, Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger reported that the University of Wisconsin-Madison has filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami over tampering allegations regarding the recruitment of the former Badgers defensive back.
After a standout true freshman season in 2024, Lucas reportedly signed a two-year revenue-sharing deal with Wisconsin’s collective in early December. The deal, as Dellenger reported in January, ‘bound’ the cornerback to Wisconsin, granting it non-exclusive rights to use and market his name, image and likeness. Lucas then announced his intention to enter the transfer portal just a few weeks later, though the Badgers declined to officially enter his name. The situation reached a temporary conclusion in January when the cornerback left for Miami, sidestepping the transfer portal entirely.
Wisconsin has now brought the litigation that many saw as a likely conclusion after Lucas joined the Hurricanes. For more, here are our takeaways from Lucas’ initial move to Miami.
After learning about the lawsuit on Friday, the Big Ten released its own statement on the matter:
“The Big Ten Conference is aware of the litigation recently filed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison against the University of Miami and is supportive of UW-Madison’s position. As alleged, the University of Miami knowingly ignored contractual obligations and disregarded the principle of competitive equity that is fundamental to collegiate athletics. The Big Ten Conference believes that the University of Miami’s actions are irreconcilable with a sustainable college sports framework and is supportive of UW-Madison’s efforts to preserve.”
Wisconsin’s position in this lawsuit is extremely important for the future of revenue sharing and will set a precedent for all deals made with student athletes. Wisconsin is looking not only to sue Miami for financial damages but also deeming UM’s recruitment tactics as “wrongful.” UW-Madison also alleges that Miami knowingly sent a coach and important alumnus to the Florida home of Xavier Lucas in December, where they offered “financial terms more lucrative than those included in the contracts” that he had already signed with the Badgers.
This is one of the first instances of a university going after another university with credible allegations of tampering and could set a new standard for how situations like these are handled in the college sports world.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin files lawsuit against Miami for tampering during Xavier Lucas recruitment
Reporting by Connor Whelan, Badgers Wire / Badgers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
