Since the arrival of NIL and the decision that college athletes deserve to be compensated for their work on the field, the NCAA, along with universities, have done everything they can to avoid responsibility for ensuring that compensation is distributed in a fair and orderly fashion. The last few years have constituted a desperate bid to maintain the illusion of amateurism, and in that desperation the NCAA and the schools have turned to boosters, NIL collectives, and corporate sponsors to keep the money flowing. As a result, NIL, while nice in theory, is deeply flawed and about as lawful and orderly as the Wild West.
Many of the problems with the current NIL system are now fully on display thanks to Matthew Sluka, the UNLV transfer who has been the starting quarterback for the Rebels during their hot 3-0 start. The team is expected to compete for the Mountain West title and now, thanks to the 12-team playoff, have a real chance at competing for the Group of Five slot in the bracket. Sluka, who had spent the four years prior as a dual-threat QB at FCS Holy Cross, claims that he was verbally promised $100,000 by a UNLV assistant coach to transfer, but has only received a $3,000 relocation stipend. As a result, Sluka announced on Wednesday that he intends to redshirt and will not play for the remainder of the season:
“I have decided to utilize my redshirt year and will not be playing in any additional games this season. 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.”
The statement feels like something you would expect from an NFL player sitting out training camp until his contract negotiations are done, rather than a collegiate athlete, but it was only a matter of time before we got to this point. Rob Sine, who is in charge of Blueprint Sports, which runs UNLV's NIL collective, is claiming that no such agreement was ever made. Sine told Yahoo Sports that because Sluka's agent Marcus Cromartie is not a registered agent of Nevada, there could be no discussions of NIL opportunities through the collective. In a separate statement, Blueprint Sports maintains that "no formal NIL offers" were made to or agreed upon with the quarterback during his recruitment. In UNLV Athletics' statement, they claim that Sluka’s representation made "financial demands upon the University and its NIL collective in order to continue playing," and that the university viewed these demands as "a violation of the NCAA pay-for-play rules, as well as Nevada state law."
But Cromartie told ESPN that Sluka had been given a verbal promise of at least $100,000, but upon being enrolled in the school there were no attempts made by the NIL collective or the UNLV athletics department to formalize a contract. It was only then that Sluka evaluated his options and decide to redshirt in order to play a full spring at a new school. UNLV running back Michael Allen has since announced his own intentions to redshirt before transferring to a new school. Though he did not release any details, he pointed to “opportunities” that “unfortunately were not met” as reasoning for the departure.
UNLV and its NIL arm are not the first to promise a player a lot of money, only to renege once they were on campus. Sluka and Allen might not be the last players to walk off the field for not getting what they say was promised, either. There's plenty of frustration to go around here—why didn't Cromartie get his client something in writing? Did that assistant coach think, Uhh what's a big number? and pull $100,000 out of his ass?—but all of the blame lies with the NCAA and the universities, who have allowed the NIL system to become a reconstituted version of the pit full of bag men and schemers who previously ran college football.
The difference now is that all of this dealmaking is legal and can be talked about openly, which gives players like Sluka some leverage and the opportunity to be an active participant. That in and of itself doesn't make the system any more fair or equitable, though. Sluka is not an NFL prospect, and he went to UNLV because he's at the tail end of his college career and saw his last, best chance to be compensated for his talents. He's obviously worth the money, judging by UNLV's record, and the only reason he doesn't have it is because he doesn't have an employment contract backed by a CBA. Until Sluka and every other player has that, NIL will just be a thin bandage on a deep wound.
