Wisconsin Files Tampering Lawsuit Against Miami Over Xavier Lucas Recruitment
The University of Wisconsin, along with its NIL collective, has filed a tampering lawsuit against the University of Miami, following allegations that the Hurricanes interfered in the recruitment of defensive back Xavier Lucas.
As reported by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, this lawsuit marks a significant development in college sports. Wisconsin is suing Miami for tortious interference, claiming that the Hurricanes illegally disrupted a binding revenue-share contract between the university and Lucas. The defensive back, who left Wisconsin in January, enrolled at Miami without entering the transfer portal, which had already closed at the time. This situation has raised concerns because Lucas signed a contract with Wisconsin before leaving.
Wisconsin’s complaint seeks unspecified damages, transparency, and accountability from Miami for interfering with the contract and causing Lucas to breach his agreement. The lawsuit claims that Miami’s contact with Lucas was intentional and unjustified, as they knew he was under a contractual agreement with Wisconsin.
In January, Wisconsin had already issued a statement accusing Miami of tampering, citing credible information, and warning of potential legal action. Now, the legal battle has escalated.
The suit also alleges that Miami made improper contact with Lucas, interfering with Wisconsin’s relationship with the player. It’s noted that Wisconsin and Lucas had agreed to a two-year revenue-sharing deal that was supposed to start on July 1. Despite Wisconsin refusing to enter Lucas’ name in the transfer portal, Lucas bypassed the portal by withdrawing from classes at Wisconsin and enrolling at Miami academically.
This lawsuit is setting a new precedent in the world of college athletics, especially with the rise of the transfer portal and NIL deals. While tampering has been a hot topic in college sports, this is the first such legal case to make its way to court.
The Big Ten Conference has supported Wisconsin, affirming its stance on enforcing contractual obligations and ensuring a fair playing field. The conference stated it would continue to protect the interests of its student-athletes, programs, and the broader collegiate athletics community.
Lucas, a former four-star recruit from Fort Lauderdale’s American Heritage High School, had an impressive start at Wisconsin, recording 18 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, a sack, and an interception during his freshman season. His situation has now become one to watch closely as the college football landscape evolves.
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