The Wisconsin Badgers released a condemning statement after suffering the Xavier Lucas setback as he went to Miami. But apart from that and urging the NCAA to take action against Miami, the Badgers didn’t do much for months. But it was expected that the controversy would finally result in a lawsuit, and that’s exactly what happened. So, now that Wisconsin has filed the lawsuit against Miami seeking “unprecedented financial damages,” Xavier Lucas’s attorney has given Lucas’s stance on the whole issue.
The lawsuit came after the NCAA had shown no inclination to interfere in the matter and simply sent out a message citing NCAA rules. “NCAA rules do not prevent a student-athlete from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new institution, and competing immediately,” said an NCAA spokesperson earlier to Yahoo Sports. But despite the statement, Wisconsin wanted to set a legal precedent prohibiting poaching in college football, and they went ahead with the lawsuit.
The lawsuit stemmed mainly from the issue that Lucas had signed a revenue-sharing contract with Wisconsin on a two-year deal and was set to come into effect on July 1st, 2026. However, before that could happen, Lucas requested the program to transfer, which the program denied. So Lucas, in turn, stopped attending classes and later transferred to Miami without entering the portal. Wisconsin now alleges in its lawsuit that Miami contacted Lucas even before he transferred, which constituted tampering and poaching, prohibited by the NCAA rules. Though they have kept Lucas out of the lawsuit, Lucas’s lawyer still clarified his stance.
“Wisconsin’s allegations that my client, Xavier Lucas, met with a Miami coach and prominent alumnus in December 2024 are false,” Xavier Lucas’s attorney Darren Heitner told On3. Earlier, too, Lucas, through his attorney, had denied the allegations by Wisconsin and said that the contract cited by Wisconsin was just a memorandum of understanding, which was contingent on the approval of the House v NCAA settlement. Heitner also noted that Wisconsin hadn’t paid any money to Lucas yet, and thus, the program doesn’t owe a reimbursement. Wisconsin’s stance on the whole issue is quite different.
Wisconsin alleges that Miami met Xavier Lucas in Dec. ’24 after the DB signed with Wisconsin. Lucas’ attorney, Darren Heitner, denies it.
“Wisconsin’s allegations that my client, Xavier Lucas, met with a Miami coach and prominent alumnus in December 2024 are false.”… pic.twitter.com/dgCc4uXqIj
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) June 21, 2025
The post Xavier Lucas’ Attorney Has Firm Response to Luke Fickell & Wisconsin’s Allegations Amid Lawsuit Drama appeared first on EssentiallySports.
