How Big of a Deal is this Miami Wisconsin NIL Issue?

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Atlantic Coast Conference’s Miami Hurricanes and the Big 10’s Wisconsin Badgers are in a bit of a dilemma. A massive loophole has been found regarding the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness.

It stems from the most recent commit of the Hurricanes, former Badger star freshman defensive back Xavier Lucas, submitting paperwork to enter the transfer portal and the university not going through the proper process of entering him in.

Lucas had tried for months to be entered into the transfer portal in which Wisconsin simply denied his request. However, he found another way to slip past the badgers and the dam they were starting to try and form around him.

The star freshman originally from the Sunshine State unenrolled from the University of Wisconsin as a student and enrolled at the University of Miami in which he bypassed the portal as an athlete allowing him to return to South Beach.

The issue is not him transferring to another school as a student, it is the NIL deal he signed with the Badgers to play football at the school. Lucas signed a contract with the Badgers for NIL, which, according to Yahoo Sport’s Ross Dellenger, was supposed to keep him on the roster for two years.

Per Dellenger, Lucas’ attorney had planned to file suit against both the NCAA and Wisconsin over antitrust claims related to the situation and accused Wisconsin of blatantly violating NCAA rules by not inserting the defensive back’s name into the portal.

The rules and regulations of NIL have already been in question since the implementation of NIL and the explosion of the transfer portal. Moreover, this just adds to the well of questions about what the rules are and how long this lawless land of the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness last.

Now, the Big 10 has released a statement backing the Badgers.

The Badgers also have a claim that they have evidence that the Hurricanes tampered with their star player before the transfer portal became a thought in his head.

As of Jan. 19, nothing as been said by the ACC defending the Hurricanes but that could all change.

Now the real question is how big can this issue get?

Students are no longer student-athletes. Some could still be students but others are semi-professional athletes now. The deals these young players sign at the top of their spot reach astronomical numbers. Case in point Miami’s other new commit former Georiga quarterback Carson Beck has an NIL evaluation of close to 10 million dollars per On3. For a freshman like Lucas to sign a revenue deal with the Badgers, money gets tricky and one thing you don’t want to do is mess with the NCAA and its money.

Students deserve the revenue they produce for the school but now with contracts designed towards revenue and possibly incentive-based, the rules have to change. An argument for the Badger will be in signing a legally binding agreement that would keep him at UW for the time being or at worst for the Canes, not playing this next year.

The argument that is being made for Lucas and his lawyers is, that there was no portal to begin with when he transferred.

If not settled this case has Supreme Court implications and could be the catalyst for future rules and regulations for college sports and the NIL era, or it could be completely dropped and another footnote in this long saga.

READ MORE FROM MIAMI HURRICANES ON SI:

Carson Beck’s Injury is Nothing to Worry About as he is “Ahead of Schedule”

Everything New Defensive Coordinator Corey Hetherman said in Opening Press Conference

Introducing the new Defensive Coordinator of the Miami Hurricanes

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