News broke on Friday that Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas was leaving for Miami.
Those words were chosen carefully. According to Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger, Lucas is not transferring to the Hurricanes, as Wisconsin never officially released him to the portal. He is instead leaving the school for Miami, fully intending to play in 2025. It is an unprecedented move.
Lucas reportedly signed a two-year revenue-sharing deal with Wisconsin’s collective in early December. That deal, as reported by Dellenger, ‘binds’ Lucas to Wisconsin, granting it non-exclusive rights to use and market his name, image and likeness. It is college football’s closest thing to a contract. But as Lucas’ situation may instigate, that structure is soon to change.
The standout cornerback publicly announced his intention to transfer on Dec. 19, just weeks after signing the reported agreement. That set off the current chain of events, as he hired an attorney after Wisconsin held him out of the transfer portal. Then came Friday’s update. He’s set to play for the Hurricanes in 2025, with waves of legal implications likely to follow.
This move could have a wide-ranging impact as college football continues to enter uncharted waters. For more on what the move means means and how it affects Wisconsin, here are our major takeaways.
This could crumble the sport’s transfer structure
Oct 24, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of Big Ten logo on field prior to a game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Indiana Hoosiers at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
We start with the possible implications of Lucas’ departure. One major one: college football’s transfer windows, or any existing transfer restriction, could cease to exist. Lucas successfully playing for Miami could accomplish that. As ESPN’s Kevin Clark aptly noted, Wisconsin held Lucas out of the portal, while Lucas’ camp decided that the so-called portal didn’t…
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