UNLV quarterback leaves program amid dispute over NIL payments

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas football team - 3-0 and an early contender to represent the Group of Five conferences in the College Football Playoff - just lost its starting quarterback. But Matthew Sluka didn’t injure his knee or another body part. He is leaving the program because of a dispute over name, image and likeness (NIL) money.

Sluka’s agent, Marcus Cromartie of Equity Sports, told ESPN on Wednesday that Sluka was verbally promised a “minimum of $100,000″ by an assistant coach to join the Rebels, then none of that money was paid.

Cromartie also told ESPN that since Sluka enrolled there has been “no effort” by UNLV’s donor-funded NIL collective to “formalize a contract at that amount.” ESPN reported that the only money Sluka has received is $3,000 for relocation expenses. No contract was signed, according to two people familiar with the situation, though Sluka’s camp told multiple outlets that the collective eventually offered $3,000 per month for this season - far below the number it says was dangled by the assistant coach.

By redshirting now, Sluka maintains a year of eligibility, allowing him to jump to a new school once the transfer portal opens in December. He joined UNLV after playing four seasons at Holy Cross, a Football Championship Subdivision program.

“I have decided to utilize my redshirt year and will not be playing in any additional games this season,” Sluka wrote on social media. “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.”

A key point here: Yes, NIL collectives and schools work together, even if a plain reading of NCAA prohibition on “pay for play” would say that’s not allowed. If they didn’t, lawyers or former school fundraisers would be deciding how much to pay a middle linebacker in the portal without input from the coaching staff, which obviously isn’t happening. But NIL collectives and schools are separate entities, meaning a verbal offer from an assistant coach does not automatically equal a pledge from the collective associated with the athletic department.

UNLV’s NIL collective, Friends of UNILV, is managed by Blueprint Sports, which operates collectives at multiple schools. The UNLV athletic department and Blueprint Sports issued statements Wednesday. Despite multiple attempts, The Washington Post could not reach anyone from Equity Sports.

From a UNLV spokesman: “Football player Matthew Sluka’s representative made financial demands upon the University and its NIL collective in order to continue playing. 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.”

From a Blueprint Sports spokeswoman: “To clarify, there were no formal NIL offers made during Mr. Sluka’s recruitment process. 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.”

Nothing happens in a vacuum in college sports. Sluka is leaving UNLV while the school is at the center of conference realignment discussions. In court, a potential settlement for House v. NCAA - the one that could permit schools to share revenue with athletes directly - hinges, at least in part, on whether the NCAA and the power conferences would agree to settle without provisions that would greatly limit the spending and influence of collectives. The deadline for the sides to rework the settlement draft, then resubmit it to Judge Claudia Wilken, is Thursday. If the previous hearing was any indication, a lot would have to change for Wilken to grant preliminary approval. Only the future of the industry rides on her opinion.

In theory, schools paying athletes directly could make these types of situations less common. But labor advocates are already taking their analysis a step further: Athlete employment, which the NCAA desperately wants to fend off, would allow for collective bargaining, which could lead to employment contracts, which would make it very unlikely a quarterback leaves a school midseason because of an alleged broken promise on money.

Sluka had started all three of the Rebels’ games this season, completing 21 of 48 passes for 318 yards, six touchdowns and an interception. When he entered the transfer portal in December, he initially negotiated with programs on his own, according to two NIL collective leaders who spoke with him. Equity Sports then announced in January that it had brought Sluka on as a client. But his transfer timeline was different from many players’, especially younger ones. To graduate from Holy Cross, he couldn’t join another team for spring practice, eventually getting to UNLV over the summer.

Now he’ll train for a few months and start the process again.