2025 Wisconsin Offseason Thread

[CatsbyAZ]

So this saga is picking up attention – From the Athletic: “Wisconsin alleged the University of Miami football program had “impermissible contact” with one of its former players who recently withdrew from the school and enrolled at Miami without entering the transfer portal after signing a name, image and likeness deal with the Badgers.”

What’s making this story stand out is Wisconsin’s refusal to allow Xavier Lucas to enter the Transfer Portal under the reasoning that the recent NIL deal Lucas agreed to prohibited him from entering the Transfer Portal over the two-year period of the deal.

“Wisconsin, in its statement Saturday, said Lucas and the school’s athletics department entered into a “binding two-year NIL agreement” on Dec. 2, 2024, which included “substantial financial compensation” for Lucas. The program contends that agreement remains in effect and enforceable…The Big Ten also released a statement Saturday supporting Wisconsin’s position.”

“Badger student-athletes who have signed these agreements expect Wisconsin Athletics to honor the terms. In turn, Wisconsin Athletics relies on the student-athlete representations in signing these agreements that they will do the same,” Wisconsin said. “A request to enter the transfer portal after entering into such an agreement is inconsistent with the representations and mutual understanding of the agreement and explains the reason for not processing a transfer portal request under these circumstances.”

Because Xavier Lucas was never formally entered in the Transfer Portal, any contact he would’ve had with other programs, in this case Miami, was therefore impermissible contact, leaving him in limbo.

“Now, he has taken matters into his own hands by enrolling at Miami. On Jan. 7, Lucas and his family hired Heitner to represent Lucas in his battle against Wisconsin. Heitner also serves as an adjunct professor of NIL at the University of Miami School of Law. He argued that Wisconsin was violating NCAA rules by not putting Lucas into the transfer portal, calling it “an illegal restraint.”

I don’t mind Wisconsin “going nuclear” against an outflow of transfers. Wasn’t it last season two of the Badgers better DL were bought away by SEC schools – LSU and South Carolina? At some point a roster becomes impossible to manage if every offseason your entire roster, that you’ve done the work of developing, is up for sale to any which of the wealthier collectives that come calling.


https://twitter.com/TheAthleticCFB/status/1880964815851757919

[847badgerfan]

When Lucas signed (he also signed a deal with the Collective), a lot of cornerbacks behind him entered the portal. UW is now scrambling to find another CB.

[bayareabadger]

It sounds like the kid had an opportunity to disengage peacefully. He and his camp seemingly chose to cause problems, and here we are.

[betarhoalphadelta]

It sounds like the kid had an opportunity to disengage peacefully. He and his camp seemingly chose to cause problems, and here we are.

It doesn't sound like that to me at all. 

Note: I'm not saying anything Wisconsin did is wrong here, so don't get defensive. I'm saying that for him to either enter the Transfer Portal, or just leave school and go enroll at Miami, is likely a material breach of his NIL contract. There's nothing "peaceful" about it. You either enforce contracts or there's no point to having them at all. 

Per the story [as an outsider], it says that the two parties signed a 2-year binding NIL contract. And Lucas decided he wanted to walk away and not fulfill his part. 

Now he and his camp seem to be wanting to try to make Wisconsin out as the bad guy simply because they didn't just let him do whatever the hell he wanted, in flagrant violation of the contract he signed. 

[847badgerfan]

B.R.A.D. has it right.

[betarhoalphadelta]

B.R.A.D. has it right.

However, and this is where it might get sticky in court...

There will be two legal questions:

• Did Lucas violate the terms of the contract he signed?
• Was the contract itself actually legal and enforceable?

That second bit will probably be what they argue, already signaled by the lawyer calling it "an illegal restraint [of trade]". 

[847badgerfan]

It was a standard contract provided by the B1G.

My money is on the B1G lawyers here.

[SFBadger96]

My prediction: It will get quietly settled and everyone will go their merry way. Lucas will get to play for Miami, but he may have to pay a little of his NIL earnings back to UW.

[betarhoalphadelta]

It was a standard contract provided by the B1G.

My money is on the B1G lawyers here.

The NCAA has lawyers too, and they kept losing lawsuits... 

I'm not saying that will happen, or that it's even my prediction that it will happen. 

Just saying that in this new world, things that people think are legal will be tested in court, and may not survive. 

[FearlessF]

It sounds like the kid had an opportunity to disengage peacefully. He and his camp seemingly chose to cause problems, and here we are.

disengage peacefully by giving back the money and/or payin any penalties of the contract

[bayareabadger]

It doesn't sound like that to me at all.

Note: I'm not saying anything Wisconsin did is wrong here, so don't get defensive. I'm saying that for him to either enter the Transfer Portal, or just leave school and go enroll at Miami, is likely a material breach of his NIL contract. There's nothing "peaceful" about it. You either enforce contracts or there's no point to having them at all.

Per the story [as an outsider], it says that the two parties signed a 2-year binding NIL contract. And Lucas decided he wanted to walk away and not fulfill his part.

Now he and his camp seem to be wanting to try to make Wisconsin out as the bad guy simply because they didn't just let him do whatever the hell he wanted, in flagrant violation of the contract he signed.

As I’ve read, some money was taken and not returned?

[bayareabadger]

However, and this is where it might get sticky in court...

There will be two legal questions:

• Did Lucas violate the terms of the contract he signed?
• Was the contract itself actually legal and enforceable?

That second bit will probably be what they argue, already signaled by the lawyer calling it "an illegal restraint [of trade]".

I was listening to a podcast that suggested he can probably play for Miami, but his access to the revenue sharing money might be blocked because of the deal he signed with Wisconsin.

[FearlessF]

revenue sharing money???

[bayareabadger]

revenue sharing money???

House settlement stuff.