Overview
- Duke filed in Durham County Superior Court seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction to prevent Mensah from enrolling or playing elsewhere and from licensing his NIL with another school.
- The complaint cites a multiyear deal through Dec. 31, 2026 that Duke says grants it exclusive use of Mensah’s name, image and likeness for higher education and football and requires disputes be arbitrated.
- Judge Michael O'Fogludha denied Duke’s initial request to keep Mensah out of the transfer portal and recused himself from further proceedings, according to Mensah’s attorney Darren Heitner.
- Mensah entered the portal on Jan. 16 and is represented by Young Money and Heitner, with multiple outlets reporting Miami as a likely destination, which has not been confirmed by the player or school.
- The case highlights growing clashes over high‑value NIL contracts—reported around $4 million per year in Mensah’s case—and could influence how colleges draft exclusivity and mobility terms after similar disputes at Washington, Wisconsin–Miami, and Georgia.