Wisconsin Football 2024

[NeedMoreFans]

His lawyer is spewing stuff out on Twitter (which he probably should not be doing considering this is likely heading to court) about the "contract" actually being an MOU that is not enforceable, and UW had no right to block him from entering the portal.  I'm guessing that the Big 10 vetted the language in the agreements carefully to make sure they could be enforced, but ultimately it's likely going to be decided in the courts.  Assuming it ends up in court, the discovery phase is going to get interesting. 

I wish UW wasn't the test case for this, but if the outcome is a corralling of the wild west of NIL and transferring, it will be worth it.  

[nate82]

2 hours ago, NeedMoreFans said:

I wish UW wasn't the test case for this, but if the outcome is a corralling of the wild west of NIL and transferring, it will be worth it.  

I am surprised there hasn't been more cases or there may have been but the schools it happened to happened to be in a smaller conference and the larger conference or team just paid the smaller schools off to push it under the rug.  This happening between two large programs isn't surprising the only surprising part of this is that it hasn't happened previously. 

[LouisEly]

UW used a template that came from the Big Ten for Lucas's contract.  I'm guessing that template is something new, and only available to Big Ten schools, thus why it hasn't happened before.  And I'm guessing that the two year contract that Lucas signed is not very common either. 

I'm also guessing that most college students are smart enough to know that when they sign a contract, it's binding.

[Jim French Stepstool]

11 hours ago, NeedMoreFans said:

His lawyer is spewing stuff out on Twitter (which he probably should not be doing considering this is likely heading to court) about the "contract" actually being an MOU that is not enforceable, and UW had no right to block him from entering the portal.  I'm guessing that the Big 10 vetted the language in the agreements carefully to make sure they could be enforced, but ultimately it's likely going to be decided in the courts.  Assuming it ends up in court, the discovery phase is going to get interesting. 

I wish UW wasn't the test case for this, but if the outcome is a corralling of the wild west of NIL and transferring, it will be worth it.  

If he has a lawyer that is prone to taking to social media, I'm somewhat optimistic that the quality of his representation isn't the best.

[Jim French Stepstool]

23 hours ago, jay87shot said:

Hopefully the Badgers win, not just because it is us but to stop some (a little) of this this free agent craziness. How can you sign a 2 year contract and then a week later want to transfer and there isn't tampering.

Honestly the ncaa is ridiculous, because the idea of a portal doesn't really exist. A player can unenroll at any point, enroll in another school, and pretty muchly be eligible the idea of a portal opening and closing isn't accurate at all. Now the idea that he signed a contract and then Miami improperly offered him more money is total conceivable and probably likely (Badgers said they have proof of improper contact).

Not really Lucas' fault in my opinion, NCAA having ambiguous rules and corrupt teams doing whatever they want and there isn't a strong enough entity (ncaa) to do anything. You can't blame a 19/20 year old OF taking a couple 100 grand to move closer to home (like 30 miles I think I read).

I blame the NCAA, and I don't. They've had a lot of years of sticking their heads in the sand re player compensation, and had they tried to create some sort of framework perhaps you don't have the headaches you now have. At least not to the extent where everything flips upside down & changes so drastically.

On the other hand, they've stuck their fingers in multiple holes in the dike in recent years, and the courts have ruled against them consistently. Not surprising that, when there's finally a challenge to all this madness that it's an individual school (or conference) taking a stand, rather than the NCAA.

I'm just glad it isn't basketball-related & involving Duke. I'm sure ESPN would open the coffers to provide legal assistance in that case.

[yourout]

19 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

I blame the NCAA, and I don't. They've had a lot of years of sticking their heads in the sand re player compensation, and had they tried to create some sort of framework perhaps you don't have the headaches you now have. At least not to the extent where everything flips upside down & changes so drastically.

On the other hand, they've stuck their fingers in multiple holes in the dike in recent years, and the courts have ruled against them consistently. Not surprising that, when there's finally a challenge to the madness that it's an individual school (or conference) taking a stand, rather than the NCAA.

I'm just glad it isn't basketball-related & involving Duke. I'm sure ESPN would open the coffers to provide legal assistance in that case.

When everything is done and the dust has cleared they'll probably be an exemption in the rules just for Duke in basketball. 😁

[Samurai Bucky]

16 hours ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

If he has a lawyer that is prone to taking to social media, I'm somewhat optimistic that the quality of his representation isn't the best.

Billable hours, my friend... billable hours.

[Jim French Stepstool]

On 1/20/2025 at 1:45 PM, Samurai Bucky said:

Billable hours, my friend... billable hours.

"Yeah, I'm gonna spew a bunch of stuff on social media favorable to your argument, about a case that might or might not go to court, to people who have nothing to do with the case if it ever GOES to court. Here's my bill."

Weirdest part is, you're probably right.

[homer]

1 hour ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

"Yeah, I'm gonna spew a bunch of stuff on social media favorable to your argument, about a case that might or might not go to court, to people who have nothing to do with the case if it ever GOES to court. Here's my bill."

Weirdest part is, you're probably right.

lawyer = agent

[CheezWizHed]

15 hours ago, homer said:

lawyer = agent

lawyer = agent = social media influencer wannabe 

[LouisEly]

7 hours ago, CheezWizHed said:

lawyer = agent = social media influencer wannabe 

lawyer = agent = social media influencer wannabe = using social media to try to attract clients nationwide

[LouisEly]

Another portal entry finds that the grass isn't greener elsewhere as redshirt FR DL Jamel Howard withdraws from the portal.  They lost four to graduation/transfers, but got five back (six if you include Howard) and what was perhaps the thinnest position now has perhaps the most depth.

How would any player want to go to UW after they way they've treated Xavier Lucas??

[yourout]

Fickel contract extended another year and buyout reset to 44 million.

Must be nice to have a miserable excuse for a year and get a raise out of it.

[Playing Catch]

14 hours ago, yourout said:

Fickel contract extended another year and buyout reset to 44 million.

Must be nice to have a miserable excuse for a year and get a raise out of it.

I get that this is kind of how things operate, but I don't understand resetting the buyout.

[JosephC]

There always was that rule about college coaches needing to have a five year contract, as any shorter deal would get used against them in recruiting.  Would that even apply anymore since all the minor league players are really just playing on one year deals?

[Jim French Stepstool]

On 2/20/2025 at 10:44 AM, JosephC said:

There always was that rule about college coaches needing to have a five year contract, as any shorter deal would get used against them in recruiting.  Would that even apply anymore since all the minor league players are really just playing on one year deals?

Considering the current landscape of college FB, you raise a good point. OTOH there ARE kids being recruited from HS that stay put; they just aren't the ones making the headlines. Either way, the extension wasn't something I expected to see, not at this point in time. I think going forward, Fickell will look as smart as the new OC allows him to look.

[Samurai Bucky]

Geesch, the next thing you know they are going to tear down the Shell to...

... oh yeah, that is already underway...

Prediction -- wrestling gone in 3 years.

[AKCheesehead]

On 2/23/2025 at 11:42 AM, Samurai Bucky said:

Geesch, the next thing you know they are going to tear down the Shell to...

... oh yeah, that is already underway...

Prediction -- wrestling gone in 3 years.

They're tearing down the Shell? Man, I haven't been downtown in Madison since I went to the Michigan game back in '17.  Other than a couple basketball games around the holidays, but that was just parking a few blocks off John Nolen and walking to the Kohl Center. I wonder how much it'll have changed by the time I'm there again.

[Samurai Bucky]

5 hours ago, AKCheesehead said:

They're tearing down the Shell? Man, I haven't been downtown in Madison since I went to the Michigan game back in '17.  Other than a couple basketball games around the holidays, but that was just parking a few blocks off John Nolen and walking to the Kohl Center. I wonder how much it'll have changed by the time I'm there again.

I get it -- the Shell was getting old.  It appears there will be no indoor track, nor will there be any training access for outside people.  I would get my short butt over to the shell for some pickup games.  Running, lifting, etc.  I'll miss it.

The Track and Field programs are nervous.  Where are they going to train now?  This is the biggest capital expenditure in the history of the University.  All... for... football.  

Here is the kicker -- the memorial bricks that people purchased were probably going to get tossed until there was an uproar.  Now, I guess, McIntosh says nothing will be tossed.

IMHO, the football facility can be used for many things:  indoor soccer, softball, and even base... psych!  (The baseball thing still chaps my back side).  The shell was a good facility available to the students.  I haven't seen anything where this new facility will benefit the students.

[JosephC]

I believe the new facility will have a 300 meter track that will be elevated above the playing surface.  Think of a mezzanine level, it is supposed to be something like that.

I've heard that it is such a horrible design for the track athletes that some of the women boosters have already discussed formally launching Title IX compliance complaints.

Yeah, let's throw money at a practice facility to help recruit football players....right when we are entering an era where players will only care about how much you are going to pay them.  Come to Wisconsin for $150,000 and world class accommodations and education system, or go to crap-hole university for $175,000 and live in a dorm without electricity and no plumbing.  Guess which school 99% of these guys are going to pick.

[AKCheesehead]

Tossing the memorial bricks would have been such a tacky, disgusting, shameful embarrassment to the athletic program and university.  I'm not kidding when I say a move like that might have caused me to rethink whether I pay any attention to UW anymore, other than possibly rooting against.  And that's coming from a lifelong Badger fan who grew up on the East side.

[NeedMoreFans]

On 2/28/2025 at 9:37 PM, Samurai Bucky said:

The shell was a good facility available to the students.  I haven't seen anything where this new facility will benefit the students.

They have two very new fitness/wellness facilities on campus that easily replaced what the Shell offered for the general student body.  The newest facility, the Bakke, has a skating rink, and I think both the Bakke and the Nick have pools.  I've been in the Bakke a few times and it's an amazing facility.

 

On 2/28/2025 at 10:06 PM, JosephC said:

I believe the new facility will have a 300 meter track that will be elevated above the playing surface.  Think of a mezzanine level, it is supposed to be something like that.

I've heard that it is such a horrible design for the track athletes that some of the women boosters have already discussed formally launching Title IX compliance complaints.

The indoor track team is presently practicing in a warehouse in Arlington, not even in Dane County, and the use of the warehouse violates local zoning ordinances.  I read an article about the facility and the athletes said it's quite nice for what it is, but it's incredibly inconvenient and it's not a long-term solution.  Last I heard was there is still no plans to have on-campus indoor track facilities.