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Drama has unfolded on Wednesday surrounding the UNLV football program. Rebels quarterback Matthew Sluka announced that he was not going to play for the rest of the season and redshirt because of “certain representations” that were made to him that were not fulfilled. Sluka and UNLV are off to a good start this season and they are in the mix for the group of five College Football Playoff spot.
“I have decided to utilize my redshirt year and will not be playing in any additional games this season,” Matthew Sluka said in a post. “I committed to UNLV based on certain representations that were made to me, which were not upheld after I enrolled. Despite discussions, it became clear that these commitments would not be fulfilled in the future. I wish my teammates the best of luck this season and hope for the continued success of the program.”
Since Sluka posted this message on Wednesday morning, multiple statements have been released from different parties, stating different things. UNLV released a statement, and it stated that the university honored all previously made promises.
“Football player Matthew Sluka’s representative made financial demands upon the university and its NIL collective in order to continue playing,” The statement read. “UNLV athletics interpreted these demands as a violation of the NCAA pay-for-play rules, as well as Nevada state law. UNLV does not engage in such activity, nor does it respond to implied threats. UNLV has honored all previously agreed-upon scholarships for Matthew Sluka. UNLV has conducted its due diligence and will continue to operate its programs within the framework of NCAA rules and regulations, as well as Nevada state laws.”
Matthew Sluka's agent said that he was offered $100k
Marcus Cromartie is Matthew Sluka's agent, and he claimed that Sluka had a verbal offer of $100,000, and the UNLV football program failed to follow through on it. Blueprint Sports and Entertainment supports the NIL program at UNLV, and they also released a statement on the matter.
“There were no formal NIL offers made during Mr. Sluka’s recruitment process,” The statement read. “Additionally, Friends of UNILV did not finalize or agree to any NIL offers while he was part of the team, aside from a completed community engagement event over the summer. At Blueprint Sports and Friends of UNILV, we take our commitments very seriously. We would like to emphasize that we have upheld all Friends of UNILV contracts this season, and have not defaulted on any agreements with Mr. Sluka,” Blueprint Sports said. “Our commitment to supporting Rebel student-athletes remains unwavering, and we are dedicated to maintaining the integrity of our programs. We wish Mr. Sluka all the best in his future endeavors.”
Regardless of which side is telling the truth, one thing remains the same: The UNLV football team no longer has their starting QB. The Rebels are currently 3-0 and they have a win over Kansas.
We will see UNLV in action this weekend without Matthew Sluka for the first time. The Rebels have a big one as they will be hosting Fresno State. The game will kick off at 3:30 ET/12:30 PT from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The game will be airing on Fox Sports 1, and UNLV is currently favored by 1.5.
