The Miami tampering story has always included the Big Ten. Wisconsin kept them in the loop from the moment they decided to bar Xavier Lucas from the transfer portal. The Big Ten stepped out of the shadows months ago when they first said they were aware of everything going on and supportive of Wisconsin's actions against Miami's tampering. Today, after breaking news revealed that Wisconsin was taking Miami to court, the Big Ten issued a new statement, and it's scathing.
According to the breaking report from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, the Big Ten had a pretty ho-hum report, saying, "We stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field. In addition to our legal action, we will continue to be proactive to protect the interests of our student-athletes, our program, and the broader collegiate athletics community.”
The Big Ten believes Wisconsin has a winnable case against Miami over tampering with Xavier Lucas
It's not that exciting, but the new one that they sent out in the hours following that article is a bit more spicy and condemns Miami in strong terms.
Big Ten statement pic.twitter.com/NW3sowRFx0
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) June 20, 2025
Their new statement is included in the above social media post and below, and it has everyone talking. Not just the fans of the two institutions, but people who are quick to point out other tampering issues inside the Big Ten and many, many other angles. This lawsuit could redefine how the transfer portal works and what is and isn't tampering.
""The Big Ten Conference is aware of the litigation recently filed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison against the University of Miami and is supportive of UW-Madison's position. As alleged, the University of Miami knowingly ignored contractual obligations and disregarded the principle of competitive equity that is fundamental to collegiate athletics. The Big Ten Conference believes that the University of Miami's actions are irreconcilable with a sustainable college sports framework and is supportive of UW-Madison's efforts to preserve.""Big Ten Statement
The good news for Wisconsin is that the Big Ten is backing them up in their fight against Miami. They see it as a winnable case, one in which there will be a pathway forward for future instances of such violations.
Wisconsin has many allegations against Miami, and you can read about them here. This story will continue to unfold and find its way through the court system, and there will be a bunch more twists and turns.