Latest news with #RossDellenger
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Conference Realignment Tracker: Memphis Offers $200 Million To Big 12
MEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 6: Ryan Silverfield, head coach of the Memphis Tigers leads his team on the ... More field against the SMU Mustangs on November 6, 2021 at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis defeated SMU 28-25. (Photo by) Memphis proposed an offer to the Big 12 that is expected to be as high as $200 million over the next five years, Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reported. Despite the aggressive approach from the university to leave the American Conference, a quick entrance might not be that simple. Conference expansion requires the support of a super majority of the league's presidents or chancellors, or 12 of the 16. According to the report, there is not enough league-wide support at the moment as Big 12 officials continue to explore the proposal. Memphis president Bill Hardgrave spent more than a year planning the proposal and took meetings with administrators in Big 12 programs. Money is expected to come through sponsor commitments from Memphis-affiliated corporate partners, in addition to a plan to forego the Big 12's revenue distribution for at least the next five years. The Tigers were on the outside looking in during a recent round of conference realignment when the Big 12 snagged Cincinnati, UCF, Houston and BYU from the American. Memphis was certainly in consideration at that time, but the conference leaders ultimately decided to pass on adding the Tigers. Even though there does not seem to be enough support for Memphis to join the Power 4 status, conference realignment moves quickly. Memphis received significant investments from sponsors like FedEx, Lowe's and AutoZone as it continues to raise money and make a move. The report stated an exit fee from the American is expected to be at least $25 million. If Memphis gets its wish, it would leave the American with 13 teams. Meanwhile, the Big 12 would bolster its conference size to 17 programs. Conference Realignment Tracker In case you need a quick refresher on the conference realignment coming over the next few years, here's what's ahead for FBS movement.
USA Today
02-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NCAA adding special one-time transfer window this summer
On Wednesday, the NCAA announced that they are opening a one-time transfer portal window this summer, from July 7 to August 5, for athletes that Division I programs have placed on a special 'Designated Student-Athletes' list. Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports reported that an athlete is eligible to be placed on a designated student-athlete list if he/she would have or had already been removed from the school's roster due to the new House-mandated roster limits, and was also an eligible member of the team during the 2024-25 season, and/or recruited and assured a 2025-26 roster spot by the program. So, some more confusing language from the NCAA around the already confusing transfer portal rules, but this could be another opportunity for players to move around the league if they aren't happy with their position on their current roster. Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
USA Today
21-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin files lawsuit against Miami for tampering during Xavier Lucas recruitment
The Xavier Lucas-Wisconsin saga is far from over. Early Friday, Yahoo's Ross Dellenger reported that the University of Wisconsin-Madison has filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami over tampering allegations regarding the recruitment of the former Badgers defensive back. After learning about Wisconsin's lawsuit against the University of Miami, the Big Ten released their own statement on the matter: "The Big Ten Conference is aware of the litigation recently filed by the University of Wisconsin-Madison against the University of Miami and is supportive of UW-Madison's position. As alleged, the University of Miami knowingly ignored contractual obligations and disregarded the principle of competitive equity that is fundamental to collegiate athletics. The Big Ten Conference believes that the University of Miami's actions are irreconcilable with a sustainable college sports framework and is supportive of UW-Madison's efforts to preserve." With the latest house settlement regarding revenue sharing, it became clear that lawsuits like these would become more frequent. While college student-athletes making money off their name, image and likeness was long in the works, the rollout of the new structure was flawed. That new legislation, along with the new transfer portal rules, have shifted college sports in massive ways. It seems as if there has been little done to organize a clear structure to address those issues. Wisconsin's position in this lawsuit is extremely important for the future of revenue sharing and will set a precedent for all deals made with student athletes. Wisconsin is looking not only to sue Miami for financial damages but also deeming UM's recruitment tactics as "wrongful.' UW-Madison also alleges that Miami knowingly sent a coach and important alumnus to the Florida home of Xavier Lucas in December, where they offered "financial terms more lucrative than those included in the contracts" that he had already signed with the Badgers. This is one of the first instances of a university going after another university with credible allegations of tampering and could set a new standard for how situations like these are handled in the college sports world. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
NBC Sports
20-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Wisconsin sues Miami for tortious interference with Xavier Lucas
College football has made a mess for itself. And the cleanup process includes specific programs holding each other accountable for chaos when one of them crosses the line of civil liability. That's what the University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective are doing. Via Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Wisconsin has sued the University of Miami over the recruitment of defensive back Xavier Lucas. Wisconsin claims that Miami intentionally interfered with its contractual relationship with Lucas by inducing him to break the contract and transfer. It's a fairly simple legal principle. If one business has a contract in place with an individual and another business persuades the person to breach the contract, that business has intentionally and tortiously interfered with the contractual relationship. It's a legal theory that allows for the recovery of actual financial losses and, because it's a 'tort' claim, potential punitive damages. The rise of NIL amid the collapse of the NCAA's various rules that violated the antitrust laws has created a Wild West vibe in college football. That doesn't mean schools can ignore the clear and settled legal rights of other schools. Lawsuits like this one should prompt all colleges to tread lightly when recruiting a player who has a binding contract with another school. That said, the mere fact that one university would sue another for the financial harm arising from luring a player to leave one school for the other underscores the notion that these players are employees. The sooner they're treated as employees and not student-athletes, the easier it will be for the NCAA and its members to begin to restore proper order to a system that has become chaotic due to the scuttling of corrupt rules that impermissibly prevented players from getting paid — by anyone. As we've said more than once or twice, the colleges alone should be expected to fix college sports. It's not for Congress or the president or anyone else to get out the mop. It's for the schools to admit to the nature and extent of the mess. And it's for the schools to devise real solutions for swabbing the deck. Even if that means embracing a nationwide union, and the rights that such a union would secure for the players regarding compensation, practice intensity, and all other terms of what necessarily is an employment relationship.
USA Today
20-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin suit against Miami alleges 'tampering' in Xavier Lucas transfer
The latest first has come to the current era of college football, with name, image and likeness (NIL) reigning supreme. Wisconsin football and its NIL collective filed a complaint in state court on June 20 against Miami over alleged recruiting interference, according to a report from Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger. The move is the first of its kind and a potentially precedent-setting action. The situation revolves around former Wisconsin defensive back Xavier Lucas, with the school claiming that Miami interfered with Lucas' revenue-binding contract with the Badgers and their NIL collective. Lucas left Wisconsin for Miami in January. REQUIRED READING: Five college football sleepers that could contend for national championship Lucas notably transferred to Miami without entering his name in the transfer portal, according to numerous reports in January. Lucas had announced his intention to enter the portal in December, but Wisconsin reportedly refused to put his name in the portal after he had already signed a contract with the school. The documents obtained by Yahoo Sports claims Miami communicated with Lucas despite knowing the defensive back had already signed a contract with Wisconsin. 'Miami interfered with UW-Madison's relationship with Student-Athlete A (Lucas) by making impermissible contact with him and engaging in tampering,' the suit writes, according to Yahoo Sports 'We stand by our position that respecting and enforcing contractual obligations is essential to maintaining a level playing field,' Wisconsin said in a statement to Yahoo Sports. 'In addition to our legal action, we will continue to be proactive to protect the interests of our student-athletes, our program and the broader collegiate athletics community.' Dellenger also reported the Big Ten support Wisconsin on the matter. Revenue sharing was approved in a House settlement on June 6, allowing for schools to directly pay athletes across all sports. The Wisconsin-Miami case could serve precedent for future situations of alleged or potential tampering. Lucas finished his freshman season at Wisconsin with 18 total tackles, a sack and an interception. The 6-foot-2 defensive back from Pompano Beach, Florida, withdrew from classes at Wisconsin and enrolled at Miami as a student in order to skirt the NCAA transfer rules regarding enter your name in the transfer portal during the two separate portal windows. Lucas reportedly signed a two-year revenue sharing contract with Wisconsin, according to Yahoo Sports. The contract binds the player's non-exclusive rights to the school, allowing it to market their NIL. The contract forbids the player's NIL rights to be used by other schools.
