Wisconsin files lawsuit against Miami for poaching Xavier Lucas
Wisconsin has sued Miami, alleging tampering and NIL interference after Badgers cornerback Xavier Lucas transferred without entering the portal.
Wisconsin football just escalated things in a way we haven’t seen before.
The school and its NIL collective, VC Connect LLC, filed a lawsuit in Dane County Circuit Court against the University of Miami, alleging the Hurricanes tampered with former Badgers cornerback Xavier Lucas.
The suit claims Miami interfered with existing contracts between Lucas, the university, and its collective—accusing the program of luring him away in violation of binding NIL agreements he signed on December 2.
If that sounds unprecedented, it’s because it is. This isn’t just a war of words—it’s a formal legal challenge rooted in what Wisconsin believes is a direct threat to the future of NIL and college athletics.
At the time of filing, this was believed to be the first public legal challenge involving a player jumping schools while under a revenue-share agreement. And that’s what makes this situation so sticky—because Lucas didn’t just leave. He left after the portal closed, after signing on the dotted line, and after Wisconsin built a roster plan around him.
"While we reluctantly bring this case, we stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field," the school said in a statement.
Lucas had inked a two-year memorandum of understanding with Wisconsin and a separate NIL deal with VC Connect, reportedly one of the largest financial packages offered to a Badger athlete.