MADISON – Up until Saturday the discourse in the ongoing battle between Xavier Lucas and the University of Wisconsin has been one-sided with Lucas and his attorney offering their side of the story.

That changed Saturday.

Wisconsin issued a statement on the situation involving the freshman’s departure from the school, and it offered some interesting details.

* On Dec. 2, Wisconsin and Lucas entered into a two-year NIL agreement that included “substantial” financial compensation for Lucas that UW believes remains in effect and enforceable. The statement also said there was a separate agreement with the Varsity Collective, which connects Badger athletes with NIL opportunities.

* Wisconsin said it has credible information indicating impermissible contact between Lucas and University of Miami football personnel prior to his request to enter the transfer portal. Lucas announced his intention to transfer on X on Dec. 19.

“Direct interference with another institution’s committed player and contractual interests is prohibited by NCAA tampering rules and the law,” UW wrote in the statement.

Lucas, a 6-foot-2, 198-pound cornerback from Pompano Beach, Florida, and his attorney argue that Wisconsin wrongfully declined to enter his name into the transfer portal last month. Wisconsin said it did not process Lucas’ transfer portal request because it had a signed agreement that commits Lucas to the Badgers football program.

In a story published Friday, Lucas’ attorney, Darren Heitner, told Yahoo Sports that Lucas had unenrolled at Wisconsin and enrolled in Miami. That move could circumvent the transfer portal.

“Badger student-athletes who have signed these agreements expect Wisconsin Athletics to honor the terms. In turn, Wisconsin Athletics relies on the student-athlete representations in signing these agreements that they will do the same,” Wisconsin’s statement said.

Wisconsin said it will continue to review the matter and evaluate all options to determine the appropriate course of action.

“This is another significant moment in the evolution of college athletics,” UW’s statement said. “As we move toward a future state that will rely on direct contracting with student athletes, enforcing the parties’ adherence to contract obligations and addressing improper interference by other institutions must be a priority. The system cannot work without an operational model that both establishes and enforces agreed upon rules and regulations, and contractual terms that are binding on both institutions and student athletes.”

The Big Ten Conference stands with Wisconsin

The Big Ten Conference issued a statement later Saturday that supported Wisconsin’s position on the matter.

“As student-athletes become active participants in revenue sharing, it is critical that agreed-to-obligations be respected, honored and enforced,” the statement said.

The Big Ten also said the information suggesting tampering in this case by the University of Miami was ‘very troubling” and said “the situation is the latest example of the critical need for substantive governance reform.”

“These actions undermine the efforts of its own conference as the ACC continues its collaboration with the other A4 conferences in developing a sustainable framework for college sports.”

More: Wisconsin CB Xavier Lucas enrolls at Miami without entering transfer portal | Report

On just the second defensive snap of the game, Detroit Lions cornerback Amik Robertson suffered a brutal-looking elbow injury. While Robertson was making a tackle, teammate Jack Campbell came crashing in and smashed into Robertson’s arm.

Robertson had to be escorted to the locker room with trainings stabilizing his arm. Initial reports from the team called it an elbow injury and he is questionable to return.

UPDATE: Robertson has been downgraded to out. He will not return.

If Robertson is out, it’s a devastating blow for the Lions defense, which is already missing several cornerbacks. Carlton Davis (IR), Emmanuel Moseley (non-football illness), Ennis Rakestraw (IR), and Khalil Dorsey (IR) are all currently out, with only Rakestraw expected to return. The only healthy cornerbacks on the active roster against the Commanders are Terrion Arnold, Kindle Vildor, and practice squad call-up Stantley Thomas-Oliver. Vildor stepped in for Robertson on the opening drive.

We’ll provide more updates as they come in for the Lions. Let’s hope for the best for now.

The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against property manager Greystar Thursday, accusing the Charleston, S.C.-based company of charging consumers hidden fees adding up to “hundreds of millions of dollars” since at least 2019.

Greystar manages properties across the U.S. including in the Milwaukee and Madison areas.

“The FTC is suing Greystar for deceptively advertising low monthly rents only to later saddle tenants with hundreds of dollars of hidden junk fees,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan in a Jan. 16 press release.

The lawsuit was filed alongside the State of Colorado.

The hidden fees “allegedly range from tens to hundreds of dollars a month,” and include utility fees, “valet trash” fees, package handling fees and more, according to the FTC’s press release.

The agency also alleged that tenants “often have not discovered the fees until after they have signed a lease or moved in.”

“Simply put, consumers cannot lease a Greystar-managed apartment by paying only the advertised price,” the Jan. 16 complaint alleges.

To read the FTC’s full complaint, click here.

The property management company manages more than 800,000 apartments across the U.S., the release said.

The FTC’s lawsuit comes days after the U.S. Department of Justice and several other state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against six of the largest landlords in the U.S., including Greystar. The DOJ complaint accuses the property management companies of sharing non-public rent data in a software system, causing tenants to lose bargaining power.

How many properties does Greystar manage in Wisconsin?

Greystar manages several properties around the Milwaukee area, according to its website, including the The Lydell in Glendale, Deer Run in Brown Deer and Evoni in Milwaukee. It also manages two properties in Madison.

More: These property management companies operating in Wisconsin are facing Department of Justice suit, here’s why

More: Company that manages Moderne, Couture sued by Department of Justice for rent price-fixing