The University of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit Friday claiming Miami’s football team broke the law by tampering with a Badgers player, a first-of-its-kind legal attempt to enforce the terms of a financial contract between a football player and his school.

The lawsuit refers to the athlete in question as “Student Athlete A,” but details from the complaint line up with the offseason transfer of freshman defensive back Xavier Lucas. Lucas left Wisconsin and enrolled at Miami in January after saying the Badgers staff refused to enter his name in the transfer portal last December.

In the complaint filed Friday, Wisconsin claims that a Miami staff member and a prominent alumnus met with Lucas and his family at a relative’s home in Florida and offered him money to transfer shortly after Lucas signed a two-year contract last December. The lawsuit states that Miami committed tortious interference by knowingly compelling a player to break the terms of his deal with the Badgers.

“While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field,” the school said in a statement provided to ESPN on Friday.

According to the complaint, Wisconsin decided to file suit in hopes that “during this watershed time for college athletics, this case will advance the overall integrity of the game by holding programs legally accountable when they wrongfully interfere with contractual commitments.”

Representatives from the University of Miami did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The pending case promises to be an interesting test of whether schools can use name, image and likeness (NIL) deals to keep athletes from transferring even though the players aren’t technically employees. Starting July 1, schools will begin paying their athletes directly via NIL deals.

The contracts between Wisconsin and their athletes give the school the nonexclusive rights to use a player’s NIL in promotions. Part of the deal, according to the lawsuit, prohibits an athlete from making any commitments to enroll or play sports at other schools. The lawsuit says Wisconsin had a reasonable expectation that Lucas would “continue to participate as a member of its football program” until the deal ended.

However, according to several contracts between Big Ten schools and their players that ESPN has previously reviewed, these deals explicitly state that athletes are not being paid to play football for the university. Since the school is technically paying only to use the player’s NIL rights, it’s not clear if a judge will consider it fair to enforce a part of the contract that dictates where the player attends school.

The Big Ten said in a statement Friday that it supports Wisconsin’s decision to file the lawsuit and that Miami’s alleged actions “are irreconcilable with a sustainable college sports framework.”

Darren Heitner, a Florida-based attorney who represents Xavier Lucas, told ESPN that Wisconsin did not file any legal claims against Lucas and declined to comment further.

Associated Press

The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective VC Connect filed a joint lawsuit on Friday against the University of Miami alleging it knowingly induced one of the Badgers’ football players to abandon a lucrative name, image and likeness contract to play for the Florida this upcoming season.

The 23-page suit, which was filed in state court in Wisconsin and obtained by The Associated Press, could have a a wider impact on future NIL deals across college athletics.

The player in question in the filing is referred to only as “Student-Athlete A.” But the case summary describes facts that line up with the situation involving cornerback Xavier Lucas, who last December announced his plans to enter the transfer portal.

Shortly afterward, Darren Heitner, who has been representing Lucas, indicated that Wisconsin was refusing to put Lucas’ name in the portal and that it was hindering his ability to talk with other schools. In January, Heitner announced that Lucas would be playing for Miami this fall.

The situation is fallout from the rapid changes engulfing college athletics, specifically a combination of two things: Athletes went to court and won the ability to transfer with much more freedom and the 2021 NCAA decision clearing the way for them to strike NIL endorsement deals now worth millions of dollars. That has changed the recruiting landscape and forced the issue of contracts and signed commitments to the fore.

“Indeed, student-athletes’ newfound NIL rights will be rendered meaningless if third parties are allowed to induce student-athletes to abandon their contractual commitments,” a portion of the lawsuit reads.

Wisconsin said in January that it had credible information that Miami and Lucas made impermissible contact with each other before the former Badgers cornerback decided to transfer.

Wisconsin and VC Connect allege that the inducement for Lucas to attend Miami happened within days of him entering his NIL agreement to play for the Badgers, and that they incurred substantial monetary and reputational harm. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and “a declaration that Miami’s conduct directed towards Student-Athlete A constituted tampering.”

A message left with the University of Miami seeking comment was not immediately returned. In a text message Friday, Heitner declined to comment on the lawsuit but he said that Lucas still plans to attend Miami and play football.

Wisconsin said it had the support of its leadership and the Big Ten Conference in filing the lawsuit, noting its commitment to “ensuring integrity and fundamental fairness in the evolving landscape of college athletics.”

“While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field,” the statement said. “In addition to our legal action, we will continue to be proactive to protect the interests of our student-athletes, our program and the broader collegiate athletics community.

Lucas, who is from Pompano Beach, Florida, had 12 tackles, an interception and a sack as a freshman for Wisconsin last season.

Heitner said that Lucas hasn’t received any money from Wisconsin and therefore owes no money to the school. Heitner also argued that Wisconsin had violated an NCAA bylaw by not entering Lucas into the transfer database within two business days of the player’s request.

Wisconsin issued a statement at the time saying it hadn’t put Lucas’ name in the portal because he had entered a two-year binding NIL agreement.

In April, the surprise transfers of brothers Nico and Madden Iamaleava from Tennessee to UCLA prompted fresh questions about contracts and buyouts.

Nico Iamaleava, who led Tennessee to the College Football Playoff last season, walked away from a reported $2.4 million NIL contract. Arkansas freshman quarterback Madden Iamaleava entered the portal after spring practices wrapped up.

Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek released a statement indicating he would support efforts by the Razorbacks’ NIL collective to enforce buyout clauses in athlete contracts. Iamaleava reportedly had a contract valued at $500,000 upon signing with Arkansas.

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Although we could’ve submitted a USC prediction for coveted four-star New Jersey Edge Luke Wafle on Sunday (June 15) morning when his USC official visit concluded, it was in our best interest not to.

About 24 hours before his scheduled announcement, it appeared that decision would work out in our favor. Less than 12 hours later, the tide had changed in favor of the Trojans again. USC was battling Ohio State, Penn State and Texas, but the fight for the highly coveted Hun School athlete was really down to the Trojans vs the Buckeyes.

Ohio State upped its NIL offer to become more competitive and keep the blue-chipper close to home. Wafle even informed USC that he was opting to stay closer to home. That phone call came early on Wednesday morning.

By early Wednesday evening, USC’s relentless pursuit appeared to pay off. We learned USC was back in the pole position after multiple sources confirmed. On Monday morning the update was, “It’s done.” Obviously USC won the battle with Wafle announcing for the Trojans at 2pm ET on the On3 Recruiting YouTube channel.

USC, Luke Wafle and a three-year NIL deal

With high profile recruits and battles between schools and NIL collectives, speculation on how lucrative the NIL opportunity was gets hot. By Thursday afternoon, fans from multiple schools were speculating on what Wafle’s deal might be.

On3 offered their take on Thursday.

“The Trojans were tracking for Wafle’s commitment coming out of last weekend’s official visit to Los Angeles. Ohio State upped its NIL package and began to trend Wednesday morning. USC then made a counter-offer to that and ultimately got the pledge locked in. We’re hearing Wafle’s package is between 2.2 and 2.6 million dollars over two years.”

What we’re told at WeAreSC from a very trusted source, is while Wafle’s NIL deal with USC is an extremely strong opportunity, it’s not a two-year deal. At the last minute USC changed it to a three-year deal.

Summary of events with USC and Wafle June 15-19

Here’s a brief summary of events with Wafle starting on Sunday morning.

On Sunday morning (June 15) I checked in on the status or vibe with Luke Wafle. At that time I was told by a source he would likely commit to USC on Monday. I posted we expected some huge news by the end of the week. Even though I was told it would be Monday, I know how this stuff works sometimes, so I said “later this week.” 

Obviously it didn’t happen on Monday and a few days passed. I checked in again Wednesday afternoon and was told “Thursday.” That’s what prompted a “Still Happening” thread on our message board at WeAreSC.

Then on Wednesday morning we learned with an assist from Steve Wiltfong, that it looked like Ohio State would get Wafle. I checked myself and was told USC was out….at least at that time.

Not long after that, we’ve learned from Steve and USC sources that were definitely still in the battle. I was getting ready to watch Jonas Williams at the Elite 11 Finals, but checked in again last night it still looked good for the Trojans.

On Thursday morning we submitted a USC prediction for Wafle and USC has an 87% chance of getting him per the On3 RPM.

The trend of USC getting dunked on with NIL sort of ended with Jahkeem Stewart in December, but USC getting Wafle as predicted, it’s kind of an exclamation point on where things currently stand with the USC football program.

2026 USC Commits (No. 1 Ranking)

USC’s No. 1 ranked 2026 recruiting class currently has 30 committed players from the 2026 recruiting class in Luke Wafle, Talanoa Ili, Peyton Dyer, Mark Bowman, Shaun Scott, Luc Weaver, Keenyi Pepe, Elbert Hill, Roderick Tezeno, Kannon Smith, Vlad Dyakonov, Deshonne Redeaux, Jake Johnson, TomTom Topui, Malik Brooks, Chase Deniz, Jaimeon Winfield, John Fifita, Esun Tafa, Trent Mosely, Simote Katonaga, Jonas Williams, Brandon Lockhart, Braeden Jones, Madden Riordan, Joshua Holland, Shahn Alston, Andrew Williams and Ja’Myron “Tron” Baker.

This past season, Burns slashed .455/1.006/.540 this past season with 25 home runs and 72 RBI on her way to being named an NFCA First Team All-American, NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First Team member and All-Big Ten First Team member. Burns was also named to the Big Ten All-Freshmen Team and the NFCA All-Midwest Region Third Team in her freshman year.

This past season the rising junior ranked t-5^th in home runs (25), t-5^th in slugging percentage (1.006), 5^th in total bases (166), t-8^th in batting average (.455) and t-14^th in RBI (72). Her 25 home runs was not only a program record, but a Big Ten single-season record.

A native of Menifee, California, Burns was the 26^th best player in the country by D1Softball and the No. 6 ranked player in the portal according to Softball America.

 

MADISON (WKOW) — UW-Madison is taking legal action after a football player with star potential left the Badgers to play at the University of Miami over the winter. The case could have major implications for how the NCAA handles NIL deals and player transfers.

UW-Madison and VC Connect LLC have filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami, alleging the Hurricanes wrongfully interfered with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) contracts. The complaint, filed on Friday, claims Miami induced Xavier Lucas to break his agreements and transfer.

Lucas had signed lucrative NIL contracts with UW-Madison and VC Connect for the 2025 season. However, Miami allegedly tampered with these agreements, causing him to leave Madison and enroll at Miami, violating NCAA anti-tampering rules.

The up and coming cornerback entered the transfer portal in December 2024. He was coming off a freshman season where he played 11 games, recording 18 tackles and grabbing an interception.

Lucas was a four-star prospect coming out of high school. He was born in Pompano Beach, Florida, about an hour north of Miami. 

The complaint outlines how Miami’s actions resulted in significant financial and reputational harm to the plaintiffs. It also highlights the broader implications for college athletics, emphasizing the need to protect contractual commitments amid the evolving NIL landscape.

Miami’s conduct reportedly included contacting Lucas and offering more lucrative financial terms, despite the player’s existing commitments. UW-Madison and VC Connect seek damages and a declaration that Miami’s actions constituted tampering.

The University of Miami has not yet responded to the allegations.

The University of Wisconsin and its name, image and likeness collective sued the University of Miami on Friday, alleging it interfered with what it said were binding NIL revenue-sharing contracts with former cornerback Xavier Lucas.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Dane County (Wis.) Circuit Court, alleges Miami made “impermissible contacts with (Lucas) and his representatives this past December and January, leading to Lucas’ withdrawal from Wisconsin and enrollment at Miami.

“As a result of Miami’s actions, (Lucas) abruptly left UW-Madison’s football program and enrolled at Miami, causing plaintiffs to suffer substantial pecuniary and reputational harm,” the lawsuit states. The lawsuit, which Yahoo Sports first reported on, does not name Lucas but refers to him as “Student-Athlete A.”

The suit adds another layer to the power struggle between schools, conferences and athletes, as athletes sign NIL deals but abandon those contracts to enter the transfer portal.

The House v. NCAA settlement, which will allow schools to directly compensate athletes through revenue sharing for the first time, was approved June 6. For months, schools have signed players to revenue-sharing deals contingent on the settlement’s approval, with the intention it would eliminate tampering and slow player movement. The two-year revenue-share agreement Lucas signed shortly after the end of his freshman season in Madison was set to begin July 1, the first day schools can begin directly compensating athletes.

In January, Wisconsin released a statement accusing Miami of tampering, citing “credible information” and threatening to pursue legal action. The Big Ten backed Wisconsin in a statement Friday.

“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 said. “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 it.”

A Miami representative declined to comment on the report of Friday’s lawsuit because the school had not been served papers yet.

Wisconsin is seeking unspecified damages in the lawsuit, as well as “a declaration that Miami’s conduct directed towards (Lucas) constituted tampering.”

Lucas unenrolled from Wisconsin after school officials denied multiple requests from him and his attorney, Darren Heitner, to place his name in the transfer portal during the 20-day winter window (Dec. 9-28). Wisconsin maintains it told Lucas and his mother it would not put his name into the portal because of the two-year NIL contract he signed in December.

In the lawsuit filed Friday, Wisconsin alleges Miami’s “wrongful conduct” led to Lucas’ reaching out to a Wisconsin assistant coach on the evening of Dec. 17 — two days after returning home to South Florida for winter break — and asking to be placed in the transfer portal.

A day later, Lucas “offered a personal, family-related reason for wanting to enter the transfer portal” in a text message. Three days later, however, a relative of Lucas’ contacted a Wisconsin coach and provided information “inconsistent with his family-related rationale for seeking to transfer,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit alleges Lucas told his position coach before heading home for winter break that he had been contacted by other schools to enter the portal but “reaffirmed that he was committed to UW-Madison.”

Wisconsin said it obtained information indicating that Miami had impermissible contact with Lucas and his representatives on multiple occasions in December and January, including sending a coach and “prominent Miami alumnus” to Lucas’ South Florida home; and offering him a “more lucrative” compensation package than the one Wisconsin was paying him.

Lucas enrolled in classes at Miami in January and participated in the Hurricanes’ spring football practice in March and April. The sophomore, who had 18 tackles as a freshman, is expected to be one of Miami’s best defensive players this fall.

The NCAA said in January that its rules “could not prevent a student-athlete from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new institution and competing immediately.” Wisconsin, though, was not punished for keeping Lucas’ name out of the portal.

“Enforcement is shaky — schools can block portal entry, even if it is against NCAA rules, as seen with Lucas,” Heitner told The Athletic earlier this month. “Wisconsin appears to have escaped punishment, at least for the time being, despite the clear rules violation.”

Wisconsin’s lawsuit also alleges Miami’s conduct toward Lucas was not an isolated event but part of a broader pattern of Miami’s tampering with student-athletes.

“Now more than ever, it is imperative to protect the integrity and fundamental fairness of the game, including in connection with NIL contracts,” the lawsuit states. “Indeed, student-athletes’ newfound NIL rights will be rendered meaningless if third parties are allowed to induce student-athletes to abandon their contractual commitments.”

— The Athletic’s Chris Vannini contributed to this report.

(Photo: John Fisher / Getty Images)