Duke University on Tuesday sued quarterback Darian Mensah, seeking to block him from transferring after he entered the transfer portal last week and allegedly breached a multi-year NIL contract.
According to Sportico’s Michael McCann, Duke filed its complaint in Durham County Superior Court, asking for an injunction and temporary restraining order that would prevent Mensah from leaving the Blue Devils and joining another program. Mensah entered the portal Friday, asserting he violated an NIL agreement that runs through Dec. 31, 2026.
The lawsuit says the contract grants Duke exclusive rights to Mensah’s NIL “with respect to higher education and football” and that transferring would cause irreparable harm that monetary damages cannot fix. Duke argues Mensah would be acting as if his contractual obligations “do not exist” by enrolling elsewhere and licensing his NIL to another school.
Breaking: Duke sues QB Darian Mensah to keep him at Duke, arguing he signed an NIL deal and must stay. This case has far-reaching implications for college sports. It's also one where Mensah will have defenses.
— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) January 20, 2026
We have details + legal analysis @Sportico: https://t.co/PhOkJ1mauI.
Mensah is projected to transfer to Miami, which lost to Indiana in Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship game.
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The complaint notes the contract includes a mandatory arbitration clause but contends emergency court action is necessary to prevent Mensah from transferring while arbitration proceeds. Duke claims replacing Mensah would be difficult given the timing of the portal, which opened Jan. 2, and the limited number of available quarterbacks.
Mensah led the ACC in passing yards and touchdowns in 2025 and set a Duke single-season record for passing touchdowns, helping the Blue Devils win the conference championship game.
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