UNLV didn’t pay — and now the Rebels are paying the price.
Quarterback Matt Sluka’s father and NIL representative allege that UNLV attempted to short him $88,000 from his proposed six-figure deal, leading to his shocking departure from the program.
Sluka had helped lead UNLV to a 3-0 start after transferring this offseason from Holy Cross.
“We have no idea what the hell happened,” Bob Sluka, Matt’s father, told ESPN.
Sluka stunned the college football community late Tuesday when he announced he would leaving the program in the middle of the season.
He wrote that he would be using his redshirt year after “certain representations” that had been promised had not come to fruition and it became “clear” they would not be in the future.
Sluka’s NIL representative, Equity Sport’s Marcus Cromartie, told ESPN his client had been verbally promised at least $100,000 via a UNLV assistant coach to come to the school.
Both Cromartie and Bob told ESPN that Sluka did not receive any of that money, but Cromartie noted the quarterback received a $3,000 re-location stipend.
Cromartie further explained that after the quarterback enrolled with the school, UNLV’s NIL collective made “no effort” to finalize the contract.
The collective eventually countered with an offer of $3,000 per month over four months, which would be $88,000 short of the $100,000 figure initially proposed.
Cromartie and Bob both said Sluka did not ask for more money after leading the program to the undefeated start, as has been reported by 247 Sports, only the money he had been offered.
Sluka ultimately decided to leave the school, and ESPN reported that he can now find a new school and join their spring program, which he had not been able to do with UNLV.
The quarterback had thrown for 318 yards to go with six touchdown passes, while adding 39 rushes for 253 yards and one touchdown.
UNLV now has to scramble to find its starting quarterback for Saturday’s home game against Fresno State and the Rebels have flipped from favorites to 1.5-point home underdogs at FanDuel.