After battling with the Wisconsin Badgers over the past month over entering his name into the transfer portal after signing a revenue-sharing agreement with the school, wide receiver Xavier Lucas has now withdrawn from school and enrolled in Miami.
This has the potential to be one of the most groundbreaking moves we’ve seen in college athletics when it comes to how the transfer portal works, and could lead to significant changes in the future. This whole ordeal started when Xavier Lucas decided he wanted to transfer from Wisconsinlooking for a school closer to home, in the eyes of the wide receiver.
But there was a problem for Lucas, and it all revolved around a two-year agreement he signed with the school that was tied to the upcoming revenue-sharing model that still needs to be approved by a judge, according to his attorney, Darren Heitner .
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So the school felt that a financial agreement had been made and he did not want to enter his name into the transfer portal database.
If you’re not familiar with how the portal works, the school is required to enter a player’s name into the database once he or she has filled out the appropriate paperwork needed to enter. As we have seen in recent years, the transfer portal is still one of the most discussed topics in all of athletics.
This year, the rules committee decided to shorten the period during which the portal would be open, from December 9 to December 24.
Players participating in the postseason will receive a five-day extension once their season ends, which has helped those still in the college football playoffs.
Lawyer for Xavier Lucas speaks with Trey Wallace of OutKick
Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas (6) is seen during the first quarter of their game against South Dakota on Saturday, September 7, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
In the case of Xavier Lucas, he had submitted his paperwork on time, but the school remained adamant about not entering his name into the database, due to a revenue-sharing agreement that both parties had signed before Lucas attempted to enter his name into the database. portal. .
The contract agreement in the middle of this dispute was a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that gives the school all rights to that player’s name, image and likeness, meaning that Wisconsin, or any other school for that matter, can use its name for that player purposes and Lucas would be paid in return.
OutKick spoke with Darren Heitner, who is representing Xavier Lucas in this matter, about the agreement.
‘The memorandum of understanding is subject to the approval of the House settlement (which has not yet received final approval) and Xavier attending classes no later than spring 2025 (he has disenrolled from the institution),” Heitner noted. “In addition, he attempted to enter his name into the transfer portal, but the institution improperly denied his right to do so, in violation of NCAA rules. Nevertheless, the Institution has not paid him any money and he therefore owes no compensation to the Institution.”
Heitner also noted that Xavier Lucas’ father is currently dealing with a health issue that led to the former Badger wanting to move closer to home.
Basically, the school and Xavier Lucas agreed to a deal that is currently not legal because the House vs. NCAA there has been no settlement approved by a judge.
This sets a new precedent for the transfer portal in college athletics
Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas (6) is escorted by a member of the training staff during the fourth quarter of their game against South Dakota on Saturday, September 7, 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. (Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK)
One of the biggest takeaways from this whole ordeal is that former Wisconsin receiver Xavier Lucas decided not to go through the transfer portal on his way to Miami. After waiting for the school to enter his name into the database, Lucas simply left Wisconsin himself and now enrolled in Miami.
Yes, there have been other schools that signed players to deals on the assumption that the revenue sharing agreement would be approved by a judge, but this issue of a player and a program fighting over the legality of a contract is the first to be discussed publicly. discussed.
Now we could see a huge shift in how players decide to switch, beyond the actual portal period dates. If a player wishes to transfer at this time, he must do so as a ‘Graduate Transfer’. But with Xavier Lucas deciding not to use the portal and enrolling at another institution outside this period, it sets a new precedent for how players can potentially leave.
“NCAA rules do not prevent a student-athlete from deregistering from one institution, enrolling at a new institution and immediately competing,” an NCAA spokesperson noted in a statement this evening.
Darren Heitner told Yahoo Sports that when Xavier Lucas made one last attempt to discuss the matter with Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, he tried to persuade Lucas to stay.
Clearly this is a huge development for players in all sports. As for whether Wisconsin will sue Xavier Lucas for his NIL rights while he is in Miami, attorney Darren Heitner told OutKick’s Trey Wallace that doing so would only further tarnish the school’s reputation.
“The most shortsighted move Wisconsin could make would be a lawsuit,” Heitner noted. “The institution does not have a leg to stand on and it will only further tarnish the reputation they have already caused enough damage through their own misdeeds.”
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As for the future of Xavier Lucas’ college career, he will look to put this behind him and contribute to the Miami Hurricanes.
But it’s a non-traditional way to get to Miami that could change the rules surrounding the transfer portal, or therefore the lack of a time period tied to the window itself.
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