In a recent episode of the Cover 3 Podcast, hosts Chip Patterson and Danny Kanell discussed the high-stakes tampering lawsuit between the University of Wisconsin and the University of Miami.
Patterson asked Kanell, “Do you think it would be good for college football if Wisconsin wins the suit?”
Their discussion focused on whether a Wisconsin win could reshape the sport, particularly for conferences like the Big Ten and the ACC, by addressing the increasing issue of player poaching in the current transfer portal era.
Kanell’s Take: Stability vs. Enforcement Challenges
Kanell, a former quarterback at Florida State University, offered a detailed interpretation of the lawsuit. He suggested that a Wisconsin win could benefit college football by promoting stability and curbing unrestricted player movement, a sentiment likely shared by many coaches frustrated with roster instability.
Kanell stated: “I think most coaches out there that are anti-tampering and are tired of having players poached from their roster are rooting for Wisconsin. Like, if you like stability, if you like player movement restricted, then yeah, I think you should probably be rooting for Wisconsin.”
He believes that winning a lawsuit could help create a rule that stops programs from losing their players to aggressive recruiting tactics, which will be an important step, as the transfer portal changes college sports.
However, he further balanced his view with some doubts about Wisconsin’s chances of winning the case. He compared it to the challenges faced by professional sports leagues, he pointed out how tough it can be to enforce tampering rules, even when they are in place.
He added: “Your chances of winning, I don’t know how great those are. Um, like even in the NBA and NFL, there are rules in place in Major League Baseball about tampering, but when was the last time you ever saw anybody punished or sued because of it?”
The Lawsuit’s Context
The dispute between Wisconsin and Miami revolves around accusations that Miami improperly contacted Wisconsin’s Xavier Lucas, which might have broken tampering rules.
A win for Wisconsin could have a significant impact on major conferences like the Big Ten and ACC, where schools are often at risk of losing top players to rivals with more aggressive recruiting tactics.
Wisconsin’s win could encourage the NCAA or individual conferences to enforce stricter rules against tampering, which might help coaches better hold onto their players.
As Kanell pointed out, from what is seen in professional leagues, enforcement might be tough, so the sport could stay in a gray zone where rules exist but don’t really have much power.
