Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas transferring to Miami without being put in portal after dispute

In a potentially precedent-setting confrontation, a college football player is transferring even though his former school declined to enter his name into the portal.

Xavier Lucas, a cornerback who played this season for Wisconsin, is transferring to Miami, according to his attorney, after Wisconsin refused to enter his name into the portal because he had signed a revenue-sharing contract with the school.

Lucas announced in December he planned to enter the portal, and he then said on social media that Wisconsin would not enter his name into the database.

His attorney, Darren Heitner, told Yahoo Sports that Lucas will join Miami anyway.

“NCAA rules do not prevent a student-athlete from unenrolling from an institution, enrolling at a new institution and competing immediately,” the NCAA said in a statement.

According to Yahoo, Wisconsin would not allow Lucas to enter the portal after he signed a two-year, revenue-share agreement last month.

The pact grants the school the rights to use the player’s name, image and likeness and disallows other schools to do the same.

Heitner said on X that the agreement was contingent on the approval of the House settlement, “which has yet to receive final approval,” and contingent upon Lucas attending classes no later than spring 2025.

According to Heitner, Lucas already has unenrolled from Wisconsin.

Wisconsin “has not paid any monies to him and so he owes no reimbursement to the Institution,” Heitner said.

Lucas saw playing time at Wisconsin as a freshman, recording 18 tackles and an interception after signing as a four-star recruit out of American Heritage High School in South Florida.

According to Yahoo, Heitner said that Lucas requested a transfer while home over the holidays because his father suffered a “serious, life-threatening illness.” NCAA protocol states schools are supposed to enter names into the transfer portal within two business days.

Wisconsin has not yet commented on a face-off that challenges when players can transfer and a school’s enforcement of revenue-share agreements.