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Matthew Sluka led the UNLV football program to its first 3-0 start in 40 years, but the transfer quarterback announced last night that he would be sitting out the rest of the season due to “certain representations” that were “not upheld.” The situation is still unfolding, but it is clear that NIL is at the center of it, and SEC coaches Brian Kelly and Kirby Smart have some thoughts.
The agent for Sluka, who transferred from Holy Cross ahead of this season, said that the quarterback was verbally promised $100,000 before transferring but has not received any payment other than a $3,000 relocation fee. The agent said Sluka could not legally sign an NIL deal at the time because he was still enrolled at his previous college.
On the midweek SEC coaches conference call, the pair of coaches each gave their opinion on the UNLV situation and what could be done to prevent something like it in the future.
“The NIL, because it becomes a third-party piece, you lose control,” Kelly, LSU's third-year coach, said [h/t On3's Andrew Graham]. “And that’s why the revenue sharing piece is so important and getting that legislation passed now puts that back through the universities. And now those contracts can be written a lot differently. When you’re dealing with a third party and collectives and NILs, the universities are at arm's length. And so it’s much more difficult to put in the kind of language necessary to kind of see that a maybe a quarterback doesn’t leave halfway through the season or, you know, a guy doesn’t opt for a particular bowl game. Revenue sharing changes the dynamics.”
Smart, who is one of college football's most successful coaches having won a pair of national championships at Georgia, said he agreed with Kelly.
“I can tell you that I don’t think it’ll be the last, and the way we’re moving into this abyss of unknown, and I’m talking about fiscal responsibility, financial commitments, financial promises, people sometimes make promises — and I know I’ve come across it in our recruiting — that they can’t keep, and sometimes there’s no rebuttal for the athlete. Sometimes there’s no rebuttal for the athletic department or the collective or whoever’s involved,” Smart said. “And it’s sad that there’s not just a way to police it better.”
Smart continued, saying that there needs to be written contracts between all parties so everyone is held accountable to the terms of the deal.
Through three games this season, Matthew Sluka has passed for 318 yards, 6 touchdowns, and rushed for 253 yards and an additional TD. UNLV bludgeoned Utah Tech 72-14 and defeated Big 12 teams Houston and Kansas on the road to give the Rebels their first 3-0 start to a season since 1984.
UNLV is set to play Fresno State in its Mountain West opener on Saturday.
