On Friday, Wisconsin filed a tampering lawsuit against Miami over the recruitment of former defensive back Xavier Lucas. Lucas played for the Wisconsin Badgers this past season as a freshman but transferred to the Miami Hurricanes in the offseason. This news was reported by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.
“NEW: Wisconsin has filed a tampering lawsuit against Miami over former DB Xavier Lucas’ recruitment,” Ross Dellenger reported. “This has to do with the Hurricanes allegedly poaching Lucas from the Badgers.”
Insider Pete Nakos then reported a statement from the Big Ten on the lawsuit:
“The Big Ten Conference is aware of the litigation recently filed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison against the University of Miami and is supportive of UW-Madison’s position.
“As alleged, the University of Miami knowingly ignored contractual obligations and disregarded the principle of competitive equity that is fundamental to collegiate athletics. The Big Ten Conference believes that the University of Miami’s actions are irreconcilable with a sustainable college sports framework and is supportive of UW-Madison’s efforts to preserve.”
Big Ten statement to @On3sports on Wisconsin’s lawsuit filed against Miami:
“The Big Ten Conference is aware of the litigation recently filed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison against the University of Miami and is supportive of UW-Madison’s position. As alleged, the… https://t.co/ty7evUPCGa
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) June 20, 2025
Wisconsin Claims Miami Communicated With Xavier Lucas Despite Knowing He Entered a Contract With the Badgers
This saga between Wisconsin and Miami started in January when the Badgers accused the Hurricanes of tampering. They have now taken the next step, filing a lawsuit, claiming Miami communicated with Xavier Lucas despite knowing he entered a contract with Wisconsin. The Badgers are claiming that this was intentional interference and caused Lucas to breach his contract.
It has been previously reported that Lucas and the Badgers agreed to a two-year revenue-sharing agreement that was set to begin on July 1. That is why Wisconsin refused to put Lucas’ name in the portal when he requested to transfer. Lucas found a loophole by withdrawing from classes at Wisconsin and enrolling academically at Miami in January.
It is unclear what will come next from the Xavier Lucas tampering saga. The NCAA is still only a few years into the NIL era. As a result, a lawsuit of this magnitude between two high-profile teams has not occurred. Whatever happens, it appears that the Big Ten is on Wisconsin’s side at the time being.
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