College Football Holdout
We have our first college football holdout. Matthew Sluka, a dual-threat QB who transferred from FCS Holy Cross, has UNLV in the top 25 for the first time in team history after leading the team to a 3-0 start. Sluka leads the team in rushing (253 yards) and passing (318) and has scored six touchdowns. You would think going from FCS to the top 25 he would be thrilled making the jump. According to a report from Pete Thamel of ESPN, Sluka states that representations that were made to him were not upheld after enrolling. With a year of eligibility left and not having used his redshirt, Sluka decided that, without payment, he would not play.
In July of 2021, the NCAA lifted rules for players to receive compensation from endorsement and commercial deals. As a way to recruit and retain players, boosters are pooling millions of their dollars to pay players salaries. Sluka was promised a $100,000 NIL deal from coaches, according to Marcus Cromartie, an agent for Equity Sports representing Sluka. “We must allow these negotiations and these written agreements to happen and not put so many regulations on them. The school and coaches are negotiating but you are allowing someone else [collectives] to pay for it, hoping they get the money from boosters. It’s very messy.” The collective made no such agreement, said Rob Sine, CEO of Blueprint Sports, which operates UNLV’s collective. The collective made a one-time payment of $3,000 to Sluka. As recently as last weekend, collective officials were discussing a monthly payment of $3,000 before the quarterback’s decision this week to use his redshirt and leave the team (players can compete in up to four games in a season and still use a redshirt). “The collective may not have agreed to $100,000 but coaches did,” Cromartie said. When asked if Sluka would return to the team, Cromartie said, “It’s up to Barry Odom. Matt has been open to wanting to play football, but $3,000 a month for the next four months just isn’t fair.”
