close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

NIL amount revealed that prompted UNLV QB Matthew Sluka to leave
news

NIL amount revealed that prompted UNLV QB Matthew Sluka to leave

UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka didn’t get what he was promised, so he left. An assistant coach promised Sluka more than $100,000 to go to UNLV, but he left the university overnight after allegations of unfulfilled verbal NIL promises.

More news: Oklahoma HC Brent Venables clears up story on QB Dillon Gabriel leaving for Oregon

Sluka’s agent, Marcus Cromartie, told ESPN that UNLV did not come forward with a verbal offer. Bob Skula, Matthew’s father, told ESPN that head coach Barry Odom later said in a phone call that the offer was not valid because it did not come from him, but from offensive coordinator Brennan Marion.

UNLV said in its own statement that Sluka had made initial demands that the university and NIL could not meet.

Matthew Sluka
Quarterback Matthew Sluka #3 of the UNLV Rebels drives onto the field against the Kansas Jayhawks during the fourth quarter at Childrens Mercy Park on September 13, 2024 in Kansas City, Kansas. UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka has…


Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images

“UNLV Athletics interpreted these demands as a violation of NCAA pay-for-play rules, as well as Nevada law,” the school said in its statement. “UNLV does not engage in such activities, nor does it respond to implied threats. UNLV has honored all previously agreed-upon scholarships for Matthew Sluka.

“UNLV has exercised due diligence and will continue to operate its programs within the framework of NCAA rules and regulations, as well as the laws of the state of Nevada.”

Additionally, Rob Sine, the CEO of Blueprint Sports, which manages UNLV’s collective, told CBS Sports that they had not reached an agreement on a $100,000 fee with Skula.

“We were first introduced to the agent less than a month ago and the agent said he wanted to explore options for his client,” Sine said. “We told him he wasn’t registered with the state or the school and that he had to be, so the athlete had to talk to the coaches directly. There was a discussion via email about $3,000 a month of a recurring payment and then the agent said no, we’re still in discussions, we’ll let you know how it goes, don’t take my athlete into your program yet. And that was it. All of this happened in the span of less than a few weeks. We never agreed to $100,000, we were never told that that was the amount. I’m learning a lot about this, just like you guys are.

“The collective is in great shape and has made all the payments that were required and has fulfilled every obligation that we made,” Sine said. “Everything that we do is contracted, we don’t do anything verbally. We have documentation of every deal that we do. There was nothing for this guy. He got $3,000 from us this summer and that was it. We took care of that.”

Skula and UNLV never got along, so he left when he could. Multiple sources told CBS Sports that Sluka did not receive any NIL money from UNLV.

Skula is originally from Long Island and attended Holy Cross before joining the Runnin’ Rebels. He was the No. 32 quarterback in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports.

UNLV is off to a 3-0 start, thanks to Skula. In his three games this season, he has completed 21 of his 48 passes for 318 yards, six touchdowns, one interception and has completed 43.8 percent of his passes.

Hajj-Malik Williams will likely be the starting quarterback for UNLV.

More news: Texas Football HC Steve Sarkisian provides update on QB Quinn Ewers injury