In a landmark moment in college athletics, one university has filed suit against another for the poaching of a college football player under contract.

The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective filed a complaint in state circuit court on Friday against the University of Miami over alleged tortious interference, according to documents obtained by Yahoo Sports.

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In a first-of-its-kind and, perhaps, a precedent-setting move, Wisconsin is seeking unspecified damages, transparency and accountability from Miami for allegedly interfering with a binding revenue-share contract between Wisconsin and Xavier Lucas, a former defensive back who left the program in January to compete at Miami. It was a groundbreaking decision in which Lucas transferred without entering the portal (it had already closed) and after signing the contract with the Badgers.

The lawsuit details what transpired in the winter among the three parties: Wisconsin, Miami and Lucas. Wisconsin claims that Miami communicated with Lucas despite knowing he had entered a contract with the school, something it terms as “intentional” interference that “was not justified or privileged” and caused Lucas to “breach” his contract.

“Miami interfered with UW-Madison’s relationship with Student-Athlete A (Lucas) by making impermissible contact with him and engaging in tampering,” the suit says.

Wisconsin released a statement to Yahoo Sports on Friday, saying that it “reluctantly” filed the suit and that it is “committed to ensuring integrity and fundamental fairness in the evolving landscape of college athletics.” The university is not bringing legal action against Lucas.

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The Big Ten Conference is supporting the suit against Miami.

“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 acton, we will continue to be proactive to protect the interests of our student-athletes, our program and the broader collegiate athletics community.”

The case is poised to set precedent in the ability for schools to enforce tampering clauses within revenue-sharing agreements that were contingent on the House settlement’s passage. The settlement, the mechanism introducing athlete revenue sharing, was approved June 6.

Over the last several months, dozens of schools have signed players to revenue-share deals contingent on the settlement’s approval. Universities are intending these rev-share contracts to be binding documents that eliminate tampering and slow transfer movement.

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The suit strikes at the heart of one of the festering issues within the industry: schools tampering and, ultimately, poaching athletes from other programs. While against NCAA rules, the enforcement of tampering has drawn little to no action from NCAA investigators who are hamstrung by court orders.

However, inside this new world of college sports, contracts stand to prevent such behavior by including specific clauses. Tortious interference describes the act of interfering with a person or entity that signed a binding agreement.

Wisconsin and Lucas struck a two-year revenue-share agreement that, like all of them, was set to begin July 1, the first date that schools can begin directly compensating athletes. Because of the agreement, Wisconsin refused to enter Lucas’ name into the portal after he requested a transfer.

A freshman last season, Lucas withdrew from classes and enrolled academically at Miami in January — a move to skirt NCAA rules requiring athletes to enter the portal to communicate with another school. Lucas enrolled for the Fall 2025 semester but was reclassified to Spring 2025.

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Lucas’ attorney, Darren Heitner, told Yahoo Sports in January that he planned to file an antitrust lawsuit against Wisconsin if Lucas was unable to complete his move to Miami. He accused Wisconsin of blatantly violating NCAA rules by not inserting Lucas’ name into the portal as he requested and questioning the legality of the NCAA’s transfer portal in general.

The revenue-share agreement, a Big Ten-issued template form, binds Lucas — and all players who sign — to that specific school and grants that school a player’s non-exclusive rights to use and market their name, image and likeness. The agreement prohibits the player’s rights to be used by any other school while permitting him or her to sign outside marking agreements, according to those familiar with the template.

Lucas, who signed last year as a four star-rated high school prospect from South Florida, played in 11 games with 18 tackles in 2024. He requested a transfer after learning while home over the holidays that his father suffered a “serious, life-threatening illness,” Heitner told Yahoo Sports in January.

Lucas’ move, though not a first, shined a more public light on the enforceability of the transfer portal. In a statement to Yahoo Sports in January, the NCAA said, “NCAA rules do not prevent a student-athlete from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new institution and competing immediately” — an expected but jarring statement for those within the industry.

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In order to transfer, a player is required to submit a transfer request inside the designated transfer portal window for his or her sport. Entering the portal is necessary as it then permits schools to contact and communicate with players. Schools are prohibited from communicating with those not in the portal as they risk violating NCAA rules related to tampering.

At the time, this was the first known public dispute between a player and school related to a revenue-share contract. As part of the NCAA and power conferences’ landmark settlement of the House antitrust case, schools are permitted to share millions in revenue with their athletes starting July 1. The revenue-share agreements are contingent on the settlement’s approval — a key clause that could make the contract unenforceable, some legal experts claim.

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The NCAA’s transfer rules have been in the crosshairs for years now.

The association, a voluntary membership group where school leaders make the rules, has made significant changes over the years to provide athletes with more freedom of movement, some of them a result of court decisions.

For instance, a judge in the case “Ohio v. NCAA” prohibited the NCAA from enforcing a long-standing rule that required athletes to sit a year before playing at their new school.

All of this unfolds against the backdrop of possible portal changes ahead. A group of power conference administrators are exploring ways to eliminate one of the two portal windows.

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A former Syracuse University basketball player who worked recently for Sean “Diddy” Combs as a personal assistant testified at the music mogul’s sex trafficking trial on Friday that Combs got “extremely creative” when he was on drugs.

Brendan Paul, 26, was arrested last year at a Miami airport with cocaine he says belonged to Combs, and he testified with immunity about what it was like working for the hip-hop entrepreneur for a year and a half. Paul was arrested in March 2024 — the same day federal agents conducted multiple searches related to the Combs’ investigation.

Prosecutors are winding down their case after six weeks of testimony from an array of witnesses ranging from ex-girlfriends and former employees to male sex workers and the rapper Kid Cudi. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, even made a surprise appearance at the courthouse.

The prosecution seeks to convince the jury that Combs oversaw a sprawling racketeering enterprise for two decades that relied on obedience by employees willing to do anything for him, including buying drugs when necessary.

Defense lawyers say Combs did not commit federal crimes, although they acknowledge that prosecutors have exposed domestic violence during the trial. After pleading not guilty following his September arrest at a Manhattan hotel, Combs has been held without bail at a federal lockup in Brooklyn.

Prosecutors were expected to rest their case by Monday. A defense presentation is expected to last from two to five days.

Paul said he bought drugs for Combs between five and 10 times, spending up to $500 for drugs including cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy and marijuana.

He said he only did drugs with Combs once, when Combs asked him to try “tusi,” also known as pink cocaine, to see if it was good.

Paul said he did so because he “wanted to prove my loyalty” and said he thought it was good.

“We continued on with our night,” he told Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavic.

Paul said that prior to his arrest, he had forgotten about the cocaine after collecting it while “sweeping” Combs’ room that morning and had accidentally left it in a bag he carried as he prepared to go on vacation with Combs and other aides. The charges were dismissed after Paul completed a pretrial diversion program.

Under questioning by defense attorney Brian Steel, Paul said his “heart dropped” when he realized that there was cocaine in a travel bag after telling officers at the airport that everything in the bag belonged to him.

Steel asked Paul if Combs was generally happy and didn’t hurt anyone when he was on drugs.

“He got extremely creative,” Paul responded.

At another point, Steel asked the witness: “You would not work for a criminal, would you?”

“Absolutely not,” Paul responded.

Slavic, though, elicited Paul’s mixed feelings about Combs when the prosecutor asked him just before he finished his testimony: “Sitting here today, how do you feel about Mr. Combs?”

“It’s complicated,” he answered.

Paul, originally from Cleveland, was a 6-foot-2 guard who walked on at Syracuse University and came off the bench in 16 games over two seasons, playing a total of 17 minutes and scored just 3 points. He later transferred to lower-tier Fairmont State University in West Virginia, where he played for two more seasons.

Arkansas head coach John Calipari made an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show on Thursday afternoon and covered a wide array of topics in the 10-minute segment. Some of the discussion revolved around Calipari-coached players and the upcoming NBA Draft, but the Hall of Fame coach was also asked to give his thoughts on the current college landscape.

Calipari has never been shy when it comes to sharing his opinions on recent changes to college athletics, especially when it comes to the transfer portal or NIL. McAfee had three-time champion and 20-year NBA veteran forward Udonis Haslem on the show, and Haslem asked Calipari about the money aspect with recruiting and building rosters today. In his response, Calipari offered a familiar “humble brag” about his approach.

“There will be coaches that would pay more than I would be willing to pay,” Calipari said. “But I’m telling kids, ‘You don’t wanna trip over nickels trying to get to 200 million. And you pick the right school. Don’t let it overwhelm you with the money. Can I throw a humble brag out there? My guys have made $6 billion in the NBA. So, when I say that, if you’re willing to take an extra $800,000 to go (into the portal), and you’re telling me you wan to be a pro, have at it.

“I don’t begrudge anybody. DeMarcus Cousins told me back in the day, he said, ‘What should I do? Should I put my name in the draft?’ I said, ‘If you wanna do what’s right for you and your family, you put your name in that draft. If you wanna do what’s right for me and my family? Why don’t you stay here?”And so this thing, I just wish they could not transfer.” 

Calipari explained that he agrees it’s important for players to be able transfer at least once or twice. He cited coaches lying to players with tantalizing promises of playing time, role and usage to land a commitment, without any plans to actually follow through on those promises. 

In those cases, Calipari is completely fine with players having the ability to move on. However, when players are jumping to a different team every year, that’s when he believes it starts to cross a line. Both Calipari and McAfee agreed it tends to set a bad precedent and example for players. 

“I understand once or twice without penalty, but after that, don’t tell me, ‘Well, we’d get sued.’ A kid transferred four times,” Calipari said. “One, it’s not good for him. Two, he has no chance academically to do anything, and I think we’re still academic institutions. Take it to court. You can win that. But if we get that in order, I think the NIL stuff would be fine.”

HAWGSPORTS LIVE PODCAST: Be sure to check out the latest episodes of HawgSports Live on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast or wherever you prefer to listen. This link will take you directly to the HawgSports Live channel on your favorite platform. Get the latest scoop on the Razorbacks with host Trey Biddy, recruiting analyst Danny West and other special guests. HawgSports Live is Arkansas’ highest-rated podcast with 4.9 stars to go with nearly 1,000 ratings on Apple Podcast. Be sure to follow the show and take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and a review if you enjoy the show. Thanks for listening!

College Football

Prove it pic.twitter.com/vvtwV0cxdy

— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) June 19, 2025

Will these records ever be broken? @ClowESPN looks at the most unbreakable college football records over the last 75 years: https://t.co/jeCRk4ZlpV pic.twitter.com/oQDWUzH7IS

— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) June 19, 2025

What will the Playoff look like in 2026 and beyond?

Little is settled, but hey, there will be injury reports.

How did we get here?

What’s under debate, why and more from @ralphDrussoATH and me from the rainy mountains of Asheville. https://t.co/LrcuinUSV2

— David Ubben (@davidubben) June 19, 2025

New Michigan bill would BAN schools from complying with #NIL investigations and PROHIBIT requiring the reporting of NIL deals to the NCAA/CSC/Deloitte. Civil remedies are available for violations. Love this.https://t.co/cUuEG1XCwN pic.twitter.com/10HwWP9qzd

— Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) June 19, 2025

College Basketball

Welcome to Team USA, Raegan! @RaeganBeers has been selected to play for the at the AmeriCup!@OU_Athletics // @usabasketball pic.twitter.com/qj9X2MsQDU

— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) June 19, 2025

Coach Jennie will join Raegan and Team USA as an assistant coach at the 2025 AmeriCup in Chile! https://t.co/6Nd8wAjmTl pic.twitter.com/p7KbUGh2HH

— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) June 19, 2025

OU Sports & News

Today we honor Juneteenth — a day of reflection, resilience and freedom. We celebrate the significance of this day in our nation’s history and the continued journey toward unity. pic.twitter.com/86TWCDQqIe

— Oklahoma Sooners (@OU_Athletics) June 19, 2025

Oklahoma softball coach Patty Gasso to join broadcast team for the first time: https://t.co/hJBaqhzgVL @theAUSLofficial @AUProSports @OU_Softball #Oklahoma #Sooners

— Cliff Brunt (@CliffBruntAP) June 19, 2025

Coach Kevin Schnall said the athletic administration’s support “at the highest level” is a big reason the Chanticleers are back in Omaha.

“What I mean by that is they enabled us to hire an elite coaching staff that would rival any coaching staff in the entire country,” Schnall said. “They give us the resources to put our players in the best position to become the best players that they can be. And it’s an absolute team effort.”

Miller said the budget has been restructured to allocate more money for scholarships without asking for additional institutional support. He said a significant portion of the revenue sharing for 2025-26 comes from donors, including a “transformational gift” from one who wished to remain anonymous. A fundraising dinner in Omaha last week brought in $1 million, he said.

Coastal Carolina’s baseball players are earning about $200,000 combined in third-party NIL deals this year; retired coach Gary Gilmore noted, “LSU has that much in just one guy.”

Miller said NIL numbers for the next year will be inflated at a lot of power four schools. That’s because many NIL deals were paid up front rather than having payments spread out. Athletes and their agents wanted to avoid having to get those valued at $600-plus vetted by the NIL clearinghouse, as required after June 6 when the House settlement was approved.

“We talked to one of the collectives from a power four school I know very well, and right now they’re spending $2.5 million on the (baseball) team and next year they’re going to spend $3 million because they frontloaded a lot of NIL money from their collective,” Miller said. “The year after that, they’re going to drop down to $500,000. So that’s a drastic drop.”

Miller’s charge, like his predecessor’s, is to keep Coastal Carolina in the top tier of college baseball.

“The mentality of our program — all the way back to Coach Gilmore’s early days in the late 90s — was geared to reach Omaha,” said Matt Hogue, who retired as athletic director last year to become director of Coastal Carolina’s Center for Sports Broadcasting. “The way we financially invested, how we scheduled, infrastructure. We always viewed the CWS as the expectation, not a novelty.”

LSU coach Jay Johnson said if there’s one non-power conference baseball program able to keep competing for trips to Omaha in the new era of college athletics, it’s Coastal Carolina.

“Gonzaga basketball, Boise State football. The ones sustainable for decades, that’s who they are,” he said. “This is no surprise to me we’re playing them. As long as coach Schnall’s there, they’re not going anywhere for a long time.”

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Credit: AP

Credit: AP