After weeks of confusion, accusations, and drama, the former Wisconsin cornerback appears to be leaving the Badgers for Miami. According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Lucas will leave for Miami without having to actually enter the transfer portal. If it seems confusing and baffling, it's because it is. Here's what we know about the situation.
When Lucas first announced his intentions to enter the portal, everything seemed normal until a few days later when he posted on social media that Wisconsin was blocking his entry. Since then, the cornerback has hired legal representation and will now skip the portal requirements altogether and simply just leave Wisconsin and enroll at Miami.
The NCCA released a statement on #Badgers CB Xavier Lucas bypassing the Transfer Portal.
— Andrew Bandstra (@andrewbandstra) January 18, 2025
(Via @espn) pic.twitter.com/E4g2wHf4iG
Former Badger Xavier Lucas turns the NCAA on its head
It appears that whatever dispute Lucas and the Badgers had was between the player and Wisconsin's Collective, not the university itself. And while there's almost certainly going to be some legal discourse around that, the secondary issue here is the NCAA and their nebulous, or even complete lack of rules regarding NIL and the transfer portal.
NIL and player pay have been, and still are, the wild wild west. It's paid through separate parties from the universities and is nearly impossible to police. Lucas is the first player to put those rules to the test and quickly proved that the NCAA has no real authority here. They had what we thought were very specific rules around transferring, including exact dates, windows, and rules about how and when a player could enter the portal. Apparently, players, if they choose, can just ignore all of that and do what they want.
This is a situation that is far from over, and it's difficult to see how it will end up playing out. Wisconsin hasn't seemed to miss out on much, as they've continued to add commitments during the drama, but there is a lot still left to be resolved. One thing is clear, though: the future of NIL and transfers will absolutely be affected by this outcome.