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A standoff between the University of Wisconsin football program and a former cornerback could result in legal action.
Xavier Lucas, a former four-star recruit out of South Florida and a standout contributor to the Badgers defense as a freshman last season, on Tuesday retained legal counsel from Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., in his attempt to be entered into the NCAA transfer portal.
“I'm honestly shocked that Wisconsin has held on to whatever its position is for so long, essentially holding him hostage,” said Darren Heitner, Lucas’ counsel and an adjunct professor of sports law at Florida and an adjunct professor of NIL law at Miami (Florida). “It's a shame. It's disgusting. And I think the sooner that Wisconsin reverses course, the better it will be for the institution long-term, because people are watching.”
Lucas and his family have not answered interview requests and Heitner said he would be speaking for Lucas on the matter now that he’s been retained.
Lucas tweeted Dec. 19 that he intended to enter the portal after a year in Madison, but that announcement came roughly a week after he signed an agreement to continue playing for Wisconsin, according to a BadgerExtra source with knowledge of the agreement. Lucas signed his agreement in December, sources said, after the end of the season and before he returned home to Pompano Beach, Florida. Sources said that neither Lucas nor anyone from his camp responded to calls or messages from Wisconsin coaches and staff members for days following Lucas’ initial announcement. Conversations between Lucas and Wisconsin coaches have taken place since, Heitner confirmed.
Lucas tweeted Dec. 27: “I still intend to transfer, but at the moment Wisconsin is refusing to release me into the transfer portal. I’ve met all NCAA requirements of the transfer portal process. I’ve yet to be put into the transfer portal by Wisconsin which is impeding my ability to speak with schools.”
Heitner said he is not aware of any agreement signed by Lucas.
Xavier Lucas was Wisconsin's highest-graded defender as a freshman last season. He's now in a dispute with the football program.
Associated Press Article
“I have not heard anything directly from the athletic department as to why he has not had his name put in the transfer portal as required,” Heitner said. “I'm very interested in learning if they have a justification, what that justification is, but as far as I'm concerned, there is no term or terms in a contract that give them the right to prevent him from transferring.”
The parties involved in the deal and if, or how much, money was exchanged upon signing was not disclosed by BadgerExtra sources. One source said last month Wisconsin football expected lawyers to become involved at some point. BadgerExtra filed an open records request for the agreement between Lucas and Wisconsin, but that request was denied because, “any written agreements between students and the university are education records according to (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act),” and “no amount of redaction that could sufficiently de-identify the education records.”
Heitner reached out to the NCAA on Tuesday, he said, requesting a day-of response on the matter. He said he is in a “holding pattern” for now until the NCAA replies, but is prepared to sue to get an injunction on behalf of Lucas if necessary.
“I will exhaust every and all efforts to resolve this peacefully, without escalation and litigation,” Heitner said. “My goal remains ensuring that he can enter his name into the transfer portal and do so immediately. If the NCAA and or Wisconsin refuse to comply with the request, then we'll be left with no choice but to escalate.
“We won't take any rash move. If the next step is communicating directly with Wisconsin, that's exactly what we'll do.”
Wisconsin’s student-athlete handbook states that the compliance office will enter a player’s information into the portal within two business days of submitting the paperwork. Heitner said his understanding is Lucas filed his paperwork Dec. 19. There is not a bylaw specifically allowing Wisconsin to delay or prevent Lucas’ entry into the portal if he indeed does meet the requirements of transfer and has completed the proper steps to transfer.
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“We don't have any understanding what Wisconsin's alleged justification is for not entering his name into the portal database,” Heitner said.
College athletes can be paid by third parties for their name, image and likeness, on top of the scholarship and stipend monies provided by an athlete’s institution. Schools can facilitate NIL deals for athletes, but can't yet pay athletes directly beyond scholarships and stipends. That is expected to change this spring when the NCAA v. House antitrust lawsuit settlement is finalized. Groups of donors have formed collectives to pool NIL money for college athletes, including the Wisconsin-backing Varsity Collective. Varsity Collective executive chair Rob Master declined comment on Lucas’ situation last month and did not immediately reply to a message Tuesday.
Lucas played in 11 games for the Badgers in 2024 and tallied 18 tackles, a sack, an interception and two pass breakups. He didn’t appear in the season finale against Minnesota. Lucas split snaps with senior Nyzier Fourqurean at the boundary cornerback spot and played special teams. He was the team’s highest-graded defender by PFF. Rivals and 247Sports project that Lucas will transfer to Miami (Florida) if he is entered into the portal.
FOOTBALL
“The best conclusion in all this is cooler heads prevail,” Heitner said, “and he can just get his name in the transfer portal and transfer wherever he chooses. And I remain hopeful that that will be the solution. But in the meantime, we're gearing up as if that it won't be and we’ll escalate if necessary.”
A standoff between the University of Wisconsin football program and a former cornerback could result in legal action.
Xavier Lucas, a former four-star recruit out of South Florida and a standout contributor to the Badgers defense as a freshman last season, on Tuesday retained legal counsel from Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., in his attempt to be entered into the NCAA transfer portal.
“I'm honestly shocked that Wisconsin has held on to whatever its position is for so long, essentially holding him hostage,” said Darren Heitner, Lucas’ counsel and an adjunct professor of sports law at Florida and an adjunct professor of NIL law at Miami (Florida). “It's a shame. It's disgusting. And I think the sooner that Wisconsin reverses course, the better it will be for the institution long-term, because people are watching.”
Lucas and his family have not answered interview requests and Heitner said he would be speaking for Lucas on the matter now that he’s been retained.
Lucas tweeted Dec. 19 that he intended to enter the portal after a year in Madison, but that announcement came roughly a week after he signed an agreement to continue playing for Wisconsin, according to a BadgerExtra source with knowledge of the agreement. Lucas signed his agreement in December, sources said, after the end of the season and before he returned home to Pompano Beach, Florida. Sources said that neither Lucas nor anyone from his camp responded to calls or messages from Wisconsin coaches and staff members for days following Lucas’ initial announcement. Conversations between Lucas and Wisconsin coaches have taken place since, Heitner confirmed.
Lucas tweeted Dec. 27: “I still intend to transfer, but at the moment Wisconsin is refusing to release me into the transfer portal. I’ve met all NCAA requirements of the transfer portal process. I’ve yet to be put into the transfer portal by Wisconsin which is impeding my ability to speak with schools.”
Heitner said he is not aware of any agreement signed by Lucas.
Xavier Lucas was Wisconsin's highest-graded defender as a freshman last season. He's now in a dispute with the football program.
Associated Press Article
“I have not heard anything directly from the athletic department as to why he has not had his name put in the transfer portal as required,” Heitner said. “I'm very interested in learning if they have a justification, what that justification is, but as far as I'm concerned, there is no term or terms in a contract that give them the right to prevent him from transferring.”
The parties involved in the deal and if, or how much, money was exchanged upon signing was not disclosed by BadgerExtra sources. One source said last month Wisconsin football expected lawyers to become involved at some point. BadgerExtra filed an open records request for the agreement between Lucas and Wisconsin, but that request was denied because, “any written agreements between students and the university are education records according to (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act),” and “no amount of redaction that could sufficiently de-identify the education records.”
Heitner reached out to the NCAA on Tuesday, he said, requesting a day-of response on the matter. He said he is in a “holding pattern” for now until the NCAA replies, but is prepared to sue to get an injunction on behalf of Lucas if necessary.
“I will exhaust every and all efforts to resolve this peacefully, without escalation and litigation,” Heitner said. “My goal remains ensuring that he can enter his name into the transfer portal and do so immediately. If the NCAA and or Wisconsin refuse to comply with the request, then we'll be left with no choice but to escalate.
“We won't take any rash move. If the next step is communicating directly with Wisconsin, that's exactly what we'll do.”
Wisconsin’s student-athlete handbook states that the compliance office will enter a player’s information into the portal within two business days of submitting the paperwork. Heitner said his understanding is Lucas filed his paperwork Dec. 19. There is not a bylaw specifically allowing Wisconsin to delay or prevent Lucas’ entry into the portal if he indeed does meet the requirements of transfer and has completed the proper steps to transfer.
FOOTBALL
“We don't have any understanding what Wisconsin's alleged justification is for not entering his name into the portal database,” Heitner said.
College athletes can be paid by third parties for their name, image and likeness, on top of the scholarship and stipend monies provided by an athlete’s institution. Schools can facilitate NIL deals for athletes, but can't yet pay athletes directly beyond scholarships and stipends. That is expected to change this spring when the NCAA v. House antitrust lawsuit settlement is finalized. Groups of donors have formed collectives to pool NIL money for college athletes, including the Wisconsin-backing Varsity Collective. Varsity Collective executive chair Rob Master declined comment on Lucas’ situation last month and did not immediately reply to a message Tuesday.
Lucas played in 11 games for the Badgers in 2024 and tallied 18 tackles, a sack, an interception and two pass breakups. He didn’t appear in the season finale against Minnesota. Lucas split snaps with senior Nyzier Fourqurean at the boundary cornerback spot and played special teams. He was the team’s highest-graded defender by PFF. Rivals and 247Sports project that Lucas will transfer to Miami (Florida) if he is entered into the portal.
FOOTBALL
“The best conclusion in all this is cooler heads prevail,” Heitner said, “and he can just get his name in the transfer portal and transfer wherever he chooses. And I remain hopeful that that will be the solution. But in the meantime, we're gearing up as if that it won't be and we’ll escalate if necessary.”
