NIL
Unprecedented lawsuit accuses Miami of poaching Wisconsin player under NIL contract
Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell stands on the sideline during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Southern California, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The University of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit Friday saying Miami’s football team tampered with a Badgers player […]
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The University of Wisconsin filed a lawsuit Friday saying Miami’s football team tampered with a Badgers player under a name, image and likeness contract, ESPN reports.
The first-of-its-kind lawsuit mentions freshman defensive back Xavier Lucas, who left Wisconsin for Miami in January.
According to ESPN, the Badgers staff refused to enter Lucas’ name into the transfer portal because he had signed a two-year revenue sharing contract with the university.
In the lawsuit, Wisconsin claims that a Miami staff member and a prominent alumnus met with Lucas and his family at a relative’s home in Florida.
Miami offered Lucas money to transfer, which Wisconsin says is 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 sent to ESPN.
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.”
ESPN said the pending case will determine whether schools can use NIL deals to keep players from transferring, even though the players aren’t technically employees of the university.
Starting July 1, schools will start paying their athletes directly.
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But right now, according to ESPN, several contracts between Big Ten schools and their players 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 unclear if a judge will enforce a part of the contract that dictates where the player attends school.
The Big Ten said in a statement to ESPN that it supports Wisconsin’s decision to file the lawsuit and that Miami’s alleged actions “are irreconcilable with a sustainable college sports framework.”