01/27/26 09:31:00
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01/27 09:27 CST Duke and QB Darian Mensah reach settlement to resolve legal
fight over his transfer
Duke and QB Darian Mensah reach settlement to resolve legal fight over his
transfer
By AARON BEARD
AP Sports Writer
Duke and Darian Mensah have reached a settlement in their legal fight over the
quarterback's plan to transfer, clearing the way for him to move on.
The school and Mensah's agency released statements Tuesday confirming a deal
without providing any details. It came roughly a week after Duke filed a
lawsuit seeking to block Mensah's efforts to transfer and reach a contract with
another school to play elsewhere next season.
The case was scheduled for a hearing Thursday in Durham County Superior Court.
Mensah, who transferred from Tulane and led the Blue Devils to an unexpected
Atlantic Coast Conference title last month, had signed a two-season contract in
July 2025 running through 2026 that paid him for exclusive rights to market his
name, image and likeness tied to playing college football.
"We are committed to fulfilling all promises and obligations Duke makes to our
student-athletes when we enter into contractual agreements with them, and we
expect the same in return," the school said in a statement. "Enforcing those
agreements is a necessary element of ensuring predictability and structure for
athletic programs.
"It is nonetheless a difficult choice to pursue legal action against a student
and teammate; for this reason we sought to resolve the matter fairly and
quickly."
Young Money APAA Sports, which represents Mensah, said the agency had
"successfully navigated an unprecedented path, one that has now reached a fair
and mutually agreeable resolution."
Duke had attempted to block Mensah from entering his name into the transfer
portal at all, as well as taking additional steps in the process of enrolling
to play at another school. A judge granted a temporary restraining order on the
latter issue, meaning Mensah could do little other than state his planned move.
Duke had argued that the contract required parties to go through arbitration
before any dispute can be resolved.
"Darian extends his sincere gratitude to Duke University for engaging in
good-faith discussions and reaching this resolution," the agency said in a
social media post. "He wishes the Blue Devils, Coach (Manny) Diaz, the staff
and the entire fan base continued success in the seasons ahead.
"The 2025 ACC championship run will forever stand as a remarkable chapter in
Duke football history, one Darian is proud to have been part of."
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