RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesIf you were wondering if the Ole Miss versus LSU game that is set to take place this season could get any spicier, look no further than a Mississippi courtroom for the latest fireworks.
There have been conversations leading up to Tuesdays’ court filing as to whether the Rebels athletic department would take the legal route against Devin Harper and Prince Umanmielen over contract disputes dating back to when the two players left for LSU, totaling $950,000 between the two.
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On Tuesday, we got the answer as to whether it was worth it to the Rebels administration to take their arguments to court. In two different lawsuits filed this week, the school is suing both players in civil court over what the school is calling 'breach of contract'.
After Ole Miss tried to settle this ongoing dispute tied to what should be considered a 'buyout fee' of their contracts, the school felt as though they had no other choice but to take this to a judge.
"The University of Mississippi values its student-athletes and is committed to honoring all obligations made to them. In return, the university expects that same commitment from its student-athletes and their representatives in upholding their contracts," Ole Miss said in a statement after filing suit.
"Before transferring to another institution, student-athletes Devin Harper and Princewill Umanmielen signed revenue sharing agreements that included a provision requiring them to compensate the university with a predetermined amount if they departed before fulfilling their commitment. The University of Mississippi has a responsibility to enforce its contractual terms, and this position is consistent with the actions of other institutions in the current landscape of college athletics ."
After participating with the Rebels in their College Football Playoff run that ended at the Fiesta Bowl, in a loss to Miami, the players entered the transfer portal and ended up enrolling at LSU to play under former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
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In a lot of these cases involving athletes owing a buyout to their previous school, the new team would pick up the tab for the buyout agreement. In some instances, the players will pay the buyout, which can be spread out or negotiated to a reasonable amount.
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But, not in this matter, with Ole Miss alleging that they reached out to LSU on numerous occasions regarding the financial stipulations of the two player's departure from Oxford.
According to court records, Ole Miss claims that LSU denied their request for payment by noting they were not obligated to pay the fees associated with the players. In reality, they aren't. It's on the athletes to take care of these buyouts, or their agents to handle the situation if they feel as though it's worth avoiding a court proceeding.
The Rebels claim that they reached out to LSU in March, but that the school essentially told them to deal with the athletes. According to multiple sources, Ole Miss officials tried to handle this situation without having to file lawsuits against the former players.
In the cases revolving around former assistant coaches at Ole Miss who left with Lane Kiffin to LSU, the Rebels did receive buyouts for a number of those ended up in Baton Rouge, including OC Charlie Weis Jr.
But, dealing with players compared to coaches is a whole different game, especially when you include the revenue-share and NIL agreements that the athletes sign.
There are examples of this sort of thing across college athletics, where players try to avoid paying a buyout that pertains to their previous school.
Sometimes, they just ignore it. And sometimes, the school decides it wants to send a message, just like when Cincinnati sued former quarterback Brendan Sorsby after he left for Texas Tech.
Just when you thought the showdown on Sept. 19 in Oxford couldn’t get any hotter, Ole Miss decided that it would throw some pepper on the grill and get this thing burning out of control.
In this case, it's hard to blame the Rebels for wanting to get paid. Now, we wait to see what two different judges in Mississippi think about it.
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