FSU football rival receives lawsuit over tampering accusations

Long gone were the days of under-the-table fast food bags filled with cash to entice top-tier recruits to join one football program or the other, or at least the college football world thought when introducing a way for athletes to benefit from their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) in 2021.

The new NIL era has introduced a wave of problems, litigation, and it is safe to say that the NCAA is still working out a solution on how to fairly compensate athletes and reduce tampering in what will likely be known as the "wild west" of college athletics in the years to come.

No program is immune to scandals with such a vast amount of revenue being poured through its locker room, but one Florida State rival seems to be on the brink of facing consequences after getting caught with its hand in the cookie jar.

The University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective filed an unprecedented lawsuit against the University of Miami Hurricanes in state circuit court on Friday, accusing the university of tortious interference, according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.

The suit claims that Miami illegally poached defensive back Xavier Lucas, referred to in the filing as “Student-Athlete A,” while he was under contract with the Badgers.

“Miami interfered with UW-Madison’s relationship with Student-Athlete A (Lucas) by making impermissible contact with him and engaging in tampering."

"Knowingly inducing" an athlete to have a change of heart and play for your school while they are currently under contract is a blatant violation of transfer practices and NCAA policies (in fact, the transfer portal was closed at the time of the violation). Although Wisconsin reportedly was hesitant to escalate the issue, the school said that it was “committed to ensuring integrity and fundamental fairness in the evolving landscape of college athletics.”