Ole Miss sues two former players for breach of revenue-sharing contracts after LSU transfers

Ole Miss filed two separate lawsuits on Tuesday in Lafayette County, Mississippi Circuit Court against former football players Princewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper, claiming breach of revenue-sharing contracts after they transferred to LSU, according to Front Office Sports.

Both players signed revenue-sharing agreements with Ole Miss in January. The contracts stipulated that if players voluntarily terminated the agreements within 90 days of signing, they owed termination fees to the university. Harper owed $400,000 and Umanmielen owed $550,000 in termination fees, per Front Office Sports. Neither player has paid the fees, according to the lawsuits.

Both players followed head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU. Kiffin departed Ole Miss for LSU in November, and the players transferred afterward. LSU athletics declined to comment on the litigation.

The lawsuits ask the court to compel the players to pay the termination fees in full, along with additional damages and attorneys' fees. This marks an escalation in college sports' emerging use of financial penalties within transfer portal transactions.

Precedent for such enforcement remains thin. Duke sued Miami quarterback Darian Mensah for a similar breach and the case was resolved through settlement. Cincinnati initiated litigation against quarterback Brendan Sorsby over breach of a comparable contract, with that case ongoing. Washington quarterback Demond Williams walked back transfer discussions after facing threat of legal action, per Front Office Sports.

The enforceability of Ole Miss's termination fee structure under Mississippi contract law and whether the 90-day window applies to voluntary transfers via the portal remain unresolved questions. The NCAA has not issued definitive guidance on whether such financial penalties comply with transfer rules or athlete rights.