NASHVILLE — In the midst of the annual NCAA convention, and in a potential precedent-setting move, a football player is transferring to another institution without entering the transfer portal and after signing a revenue-sharing contract with his previous school.
Former Wisconsin defensive back Xavier Lucas, who UW refused to enter into the portal after he requested a transfer, is leaving the school for Miami, his attorney Darren Heitner told Yahoo Sports on Wednesday — a groundbreaking move that may have significant ramifications.
The situation is poised to set precedent, both in the ability for schools to enforce revenue-sharing agreements that are contingent on the House settlement’s passage and, perhaps more importantly, for players to transfer at any time, even outside the portal windows or without entering the portal at all.
Lucas, a freshman this past season, withdrew from classes at Wisconsin and enrolled academically at Miami. By not formally signing with Miami, he presumably skirts any NCAA transfer rules. He enrolled for the Fall 2025 semester but is expected to be reclassified to Spring 2025,
The move, for now, avoids a legal filing. Heitner had planned to file suit against both the NCAA and Wisconsin over antitrust claims related to the situation, accusing Wisconsin of blatantly violating NCAA rules by not inserting Lucas’ name into the portal as he requested and questioning the legality of the NCAA’s transfer portal.
Wisconsin officials have remained quiet on the situation. However, the school is declining to enter Lucas into the portal as he signed a two-year revenue-share agreement last month before requesting a transfer.
The agreement, a Big Ten-issued template form, binds Lucas — and all players who sign — to that specific school and grants that school a player’s non-exclusive rights to use and market their name, image and likeness. The agreement prohibits the player’s rights to be used by any other school while permitting him or her to sign outside marking agreements, according to those familiar with the template.
Breaking the agreement could trigger litigation from Wisconsin onto Lucas and/or Miami.
Lucas, who signed last year as a Rivals four star-rated high school prospect from South Florida, played in 11 games with 18 tackles in 2024. He requested a transfer after learning while home over the holidays that his father suffered a "serious, life-threatening illness," according to Heitner. The school has refused to follow NCAA protocol requiring institutions to comply with a player's transfer request by submitting his or her name to the portal within two business days.
In order to transfer, a player is required to submit a transfer request inside the designated transfer portal window for his or her sport. Entering the portal is necessary as it then permits schools to contact and communicate with players. Schools are prohibited from communicating with those not in the portal as they risk violating NCAA rules related to tampering.
Lucas has been stuck in “purgatory,” as schools would not communicate with him to avoid violating those rules.
“NCAA rules do not prevent a student-athlete from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new institution and competing immediately,” an NCAA spokesperson said in a statement.
This is the first known public dispute between a player and school related to a revenue-share contract. Schools only recently started to sign players to such contracts. As part of the NCAA and power conferences’ landmark settlement of the House antitrust case, schools are permitted to share millions in revenue with their athletes starting July 1, if the settlement is approved in April. The revenue-share agreements are contingent on the settlement’s approval — a key clause that could make the contract unenforceable.
The situation could set a precedent for future challenges to the validity of settlement-contingent revenue-share contracts. Schools are signing players to multi-year deals as a way to secure talent for multiple seasons, stabilize the sport and limit athlete movement, currently at an all time high.
According to Heitner, Lucas and his family, “in an act of desperation,” reached out to Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell last week to plead for an explanation and to reconsider the decision. The coach instead attempted to convince Lucas to remain at UW.
The NCAA’s transfer rules have been in the crosshairs for years now.
The association, a voluntary membership group where school leaders make the rules, has made significant changes over the years to provide athletes with more freedom of movement, some of them a result of court decisions.
For instance, a judge in the case Ohio v. NCAA prohibited the NCAA from enforcing a long-standing rule that required athletes to sit a year before playing at their new school.
All of this unfolds against the backdrop of possible portal changes ahead. The American Football Coaches Association voted on Tuesday, unanimously, to condense the portal to one, 10-day window in January. Currently, there are two portal windows, in the fall and spring, that span 45 days. The recommendation will now be examined by several NCAA rules committees that hold authority over policy making.
