OXFORD, Miss. — The upcoming showdown between LSU and Ole Miss already carried plenty of tension. On Tuesday afternoon, however, the rivalry received another jolt outside LSU’s football facility.
In a lawsuit filed this past July, the Ole Miss athletic department is currently suing former players, and current LSU Tigers, Devin Harper and Princewill Umanmielen, on charges of breach of contract tied to their exit from Oxford following the departure of head coach Lane Kiffin.
Both players ended up transferring to LSU this past offseason, which came after participating in the College Football Playoff with Ole Miss.
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The school alleges in their lawsuit against the two players that they were both obligated to pay contract buyouts, which totaled $950,000 between the pair. Ole Miss also alleges in its lawsuit that each player signed a new deal with the school in January, but bolted for the transfer portal once the season ended.
Over the previous months leading up to the lawsuit being filed, Ole Miss officials say that they tried to reach a settlement with both athletes, with both athletes having a buyout clause in their contracts that are sometimes taken care of by the new school where players enroll.
The dispute escalated Tuesday when Umanmielen was served legal papers related to the lawsuit in the parking lot of LSU’s football facility.
LSU officials reportedly declined to engage with Ole Miss’ attorneys, directing them to the athletes, who were responsible for their own contracts.
This led to disagreements as to whether the buyouts would be paid, and who would actually take care of the monetary penalties that came with them allegedly breaking their contracts.
In response to the athlete being served with legal papers, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry had plenty to say on social media regarding the move made by Ole Miss lawyers.
“The process server found Princewill in the LSU Football Ops parking lot,” Landry noted. “Keith Carter (Ole Miss AD) could have saved Ole Miss some money and waited until Saturday. He’ll be easy to find in the Ole Miss backfield often!”
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Any hope that the off-field drama would cool down before Saturday’s matchup has quickly disappeared.
Umanmielen has now been served, while Harper is still awaiting legal papers. The development adds another storyline to an already highly anticipated game.
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In July, when Ole Miss first filed its lawsuit against the players, the school pointed toward the agreements signed and their plans to see the athletes hold up their part of the deal.
“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.”
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The lawsuit and Tuesday’s process-serving incident have only intensified the animosity surrounding the LSU-Ole Miss rivalry.
With legal trouble, transfer drama and a major SEC matchup all colliding, Saturday’s game now has even more fuel behind it.
