The dispute over cornerback Xavier Lucas transferring from the Wisconsin Badgers to the Miami Hurricanes takes a new turn! The Lucas saga started when he decided to withdraw from Wisconsin and enroll in Miami without entering the transfer portal. Causing a massive stir within the college football circuit.

Well, Lucas, who signed with the Badgers last season, requested a transfer after learning that his father was suffering from a serious illness. However, Wisconsin did not follow the NCAA protocol which requires to comply with a player’s transfer request by submitting their name to the portal within two business days. Now, the NCAA has dropped a huge statement that holds massive weight!

Drake C. Toll on his podcast “Locked On Big 12” read out a statement from an NCAA representative that stated, “NCAA rules do not prevent a student-athlete from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new institution and competing immediately.” He stated. Moreover, this statement can be a game changer not just in college football but also in college sports in larger terms!

Wisconsin’s whole argument lies in the fact that Lucas was on a two-year NIL deal with them. This meant that he couldn’t possibly join Miami and that this would state that the Hurricanes were “tampering” with their player. With that being said, the NCAA statement would mean that Lucas outskirts any of these regulations by opting out of Wisconsin and then enrolling at Miami. This could precede a major change in college sports! Cause this certainly doesn’t feel like the end of this tussle.

What is the Big Ten’s stance in the battle between Wisconsin and Miami?

While the NCAA seems to have a neutral stance to the battle, the Big Ten resides with Wisconsin. This is given the University’s alleged contract with Xavier Lucas. Put simply, NCAA student-athletes are not directly under contract to play sports- the contracts from their Name, Image, and Likeness with theoretical outside sources. The Big Ten further in their statement said, “It is critical that agreed to obligations be respected, honored and enforced.” 

The contract must be honored by both the university and the student-athlete. Wisconsin didn’t stand on their end of the bargain by not placing Lucas on the transfer portal. Furthermore, there has been no publicly available proof that Miami has tampered with Lucas. Well, the Big Ten issues a template that binds every player to sign a revenue-sharing agreement, as is the case with Xavier Lucas.

This grants the school with non-exclusive rights to the school to market the player’s NIL. Moreover, these player rights cannot be used by any other school, and the player cannot sign another marketing agreement. With that being said, the NCAA and Big Ten seem to be on different pages, and this case doesn’t seem to be over, to say the least. Lucas’ case is on track to set multiple precedents for future NIL deals and contracts for up-and-coming college athletes. Everyone continues to closely follow this saga!