Latest news with #NIL
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Miami Facing Groundbreaking NIL Lawsuit Over Alleged Player Tampering
Miami Facing Groundbreaking NIL Lawsuit Over Alleged Player Tampering originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The ever-evolving world of college athletics, particularly NIL, may have reached a legal tipping point. The University of Miami now finds itself at the center of a groundbreaking lawsuit filed by the University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective, focused on alleged tampering involving cornerback Xavier Lucas. Advertisement According to a report from Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger, the University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective filed a complaint in state circuit court, claiming 'tortious interference' by Miami. The complaint alleges that the Hurricanes made impermissible contact with Lucas while he was still under contract with Wisconsin. This is believed to be the first legal action of its kind directly tied to NIL-era tampering. Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas (6) is shown during the first quarter of their game against South Dakota Saturday, September 7 , 2024 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel At the heart of the case is Lucas, a South Florida native who signed a new contract with Wisconsin in December before transferring to Miami in January, without formally entering the NCAA transfer portal. The Badgers allege that Miami knowingly engaged with Lucas despite his existing agreement, which resulted in him breaching that deal and transferring. 'Miami interfered with UW-Madison's relationship with Student-Athlete A by making impermissible contact with him and engaging in tampering,' the suit reads, with Wisconsin seeking 'unspecified damages, transparency, and accountability.' Advertisement Whether the courts agree remains to be seen. However, legal experts and college football insiders believe this case could set a precedent for how tampering is defined and enforced moving forward. For now, Lucas remains eligible to play for the Hurricanes this fall, where he's expected to make an immediate impact on a secondary that allowed the sixth-most passing touchdowns per game in the ACC last season. Lucas was 247Sports' 20th overall player and first-ranked cornerback in the transfer portal this offseason. His addition was viewed as a major win for new Hurricanes defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman's defense, and it now carries potentially significant off-field implications. As the NIL era continues to evolve, Miami's role in this case could shape how schools recruit, retain, and protect their athletes and navigate the legal lines surrounding NIL, player contracts, and tampering. The Hurricanes have not yet issued a public statement on the lawsuit. Related: Rookie QB Cam Ward's Surprising Trash Talk Highlights His Confidence at Titans OTAs This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Two Colorado freshman to appear in EA Sports' College Football 26
I'm officially In The Game #CFB26 @easportscollege #EAAthlete. #Blessed In the NIL era, players relish the opportunities they receive to make a profit off their name, but there is one deal that might trump any other. That is the ability to play as yourself in a video game, or more specifically, EA Sports' latest installment, College Football 2026. On Friday, incoming Colorado freshmen London Merritt and Mantrez Walker announced they'll be in the soon-to-be-released game. The edge rusher and linebacker confirmed that their name, image and likeness will be included in the game, marking another milestone in their young careers. EA Sports brought back the popular college football franchise last year to widespread excitement from fans and players alike, eager to jump back into the game. New to this year's addition, all 136 Football Bowl Subdivision schools will be paid by EA Sports based on the frequency with which gamers play with their respective team. Real-life coaches are also being added to the game this year. Merritt and Walker are both Georgia natives, with Merritt being a blue-chip prospect once committed to Ohio State. Merritt appears to have significant potential with the Buffs, who lost several key pieces to their defensive line, most notably star defensive end BJ Green. Walker was a three-star prospect who has been with the Buffs for most of the offseason, but he projects as a likely depth piece entering his freshman season. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Texas to be paid based on how often users play with Longhorns on EA College Football 26
The University of Texas will be paid based on how many users play EA College Football 26 using the Longhorns. The "play-for-pay" model is a change on the way the video company pays for Name Image Likeness (NIL) rights to participating schools. According to Matt Liberman of beginning on the game's release on July 10, all 136 FBS schools that opted into the game will be compensated by their popularity with gamers. 'For each CFB product released by EA SPORTS, we (CLC Learfield) will provide a percentage for each institution based on the games played for that institution as a percentage of the total games played across all institutions. This percentage of games played will become the final allocation percentage for each school that will be applied to the total gross royalties for all institutions received.' - EA document obtained by cllct Advertisement Previously, teams were divided into five tiers based on a decade of AP rankings. Tier 1 earned just shy of $100,000, while Tier 5 made less than $10,000. Texas was in Tier 2 and earned just short of $60,000. Players this season will receive a raise from the $600 all but Arch Manning earned last season. Players can earn up to $3,000 based on negotiations with EA and NIL partner Pathway Sports & Entertainment. College Football 26 will be released on July 10. Last year's version became the most widely played sports video game of all time with more than 1.7 billion streams of the game. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @LonghornsWire. This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: EA CFB26 to pay Texas based on how often users play with Longhorns
USA Today
8 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Longhorns have No. 1 offense, No. 2 defense & No. 2 overall in new EA College Football 26
In less than two weeks EA College Football 26 will be released. At launch, the Texas Longhorns will be ranked high on both sides of the ball and overall. UT will have the No. 1 ranked offenses and No. 2 defense in the game. The Horns are ranked No. 2 overall behind the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Texas offense has a rating of 91, which is tied with Penn State, Ohio State and Arizona State. But the Longhorns have a slight edge and claim the No. 1 ranking. There are nine SEC teams in the top 25 offense in the video game. The Texas offense will feature Arch Manning at quarterback, Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter at running back and Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore at wide receiver. On defense, UT is ranked second behind Alabama. Texas has a defensive rating of 94, behind 'Bama's 96. Penn State, Georgia and Ohio State fill out the top five. There are ten SEC teams in the top 25 defenses in the game. The Horns defense will feature Anthony Hill, Colin Simmons and Michael Taaffe leading the charge. EA has ranked Alabama the overall No. 1 team despite having the seventh ranked offense to go with the Tide's No. 1 defense. The SEC has 12 teams in the overall Top 25, almost half of the ranking. Texas is heavily featured in the game's trailer. The video showcases Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and quarterback Arch Manning. The video also shows off the Longhorns running onto the field at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium and the drone show Texas produces for night games. The game also shows off a couple of Longhorns plays. This year, schools are getting paid differently than in the past. The University of Texas will be paid based on how many users play EA College Football 26 using the Longhorns. The "play-for-pay" model is a change on the way the video company pays for Name Image Likeness (NIL) rights to participating schools. So the more you play using Texas as your team, the more money the program gets. The game is set for a worldwide release on July 10. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @LonghornsWire.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WATCH: Ohio State football players take part in NIL media day
In a sign of the times, Ohio State football players took part in a media day this past week, but not just any media day of the traditional variety. No, instead, the players participated in Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) media day to showcase their skills in how marketable they are. The Ohio State football creative team captured a little bit of it in a social media post to share with everyone, and though there's not a whole lot of information to glean from it all, it's still interesting to see how these events happen behind the scenes, and important to note for all of those prospective recruits out there that the Buckeyes put an emphasis on what a player can do off the field as well. Advertisement Take a look at a short video of Ohio State football players taking turns in front of cameras and interviews in an NIL media day on Thursday, and just wonder how far things have come in such a short time when even paying for a meal on a recruiting trip was frowned upon. Now, runways are being laid out to help them land NIL deals. NIL itself is going to look entirely different too as the sport now embarks on direct revenue sharing, but you can bet Ohio State will try to embrace that and be ahead of the curve as well. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X. This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: WATCH: Ohio State football players take part in an NIL media day
