FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Xavier Lucas, a former American Heritage football star, knew he wanted to come home. But Wisconsin, where he spent his first year of college, did not want to let him transfer. The Badgers did not enter the cornerback’s name in the transfer portal within two business days, as NCAA bylaws require.
Lucas’ lawyer, Darren Heitner, found a solution: Lucas unenrolled from Wisconsin and was admitted to Miami without any contact with the UM football program, Heitner said. In response, Wisconsin released a statement saying it had “credible information indicating impermissible contact between Xavier and University of Miami football program personnel prior to Xavier’s request to enter the transfer portal.”
The accusation of tampering has been common in the transfer portal era, but the NCAA has not punished any FBS head coaches or programs for tampering. Potential punishments could include probation, fines, recruiting sanctions and more. UM …