The world of college football continues to change. When the players finally were represented in the Name, Image and Likeness deal (NIL), fans were glad that players were finally going to be publicly compensated as they hadn't been for so long.
However, several new challenges have occurred with the passing of the NIL policies. The transfer portal has developed into a college football free agency period that students have no hesitations about entering if they aren't getting the playing time they think they deserve.
Now, we have our first case of a player taking themselves off the team because the terms of their NIL deal weren't fulfilled. Despite being an undefeated 3-0, UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka has decided to invoke his redshirt and sit out the season, citing his NIL deal as the reason for that decision.
Sluka took to X, formerly Twitter, to announce his decision to redshirt his senior year. The announcement comes three days before the Rebels host the Fresno State Bulldogs. Sluka said the decision to redshirt was due to commitments "not being fulfilled," a reference many attributed to one of his NIL deals.
The option to redshirt allows a student-athlete to gain an extra year of college eligibility. Generally, students only get one, and it typically comes as a freshman when they aren't expected to see the field. This way, the player's college can get four extra years with the athlete rather than having them ride the bench and leaving the team after just three years of production.
NIL deals are generally done behind closed doors. We may know that certain products or companies sponsor certain players, but the terms and qualifications for the NIL deals are generally not made public. This situation has forced the details of his supposed NIL deal with UNLV to come out.
Speaking in general terms, Sluka's NIL reps have said that he was due at least $100,000 to transfer to UNLV and has only received $3,000 of it.
Sluka spent four years playing for Holy Cross and transferred to UNLV. It is incredibly rare for a player to invoke their redshirt at this stage of their playing career, but the QB must feel that slighted that he thinks it is the right decision.
Sluka hasn't officially declared that he will be entering the transfer portal. There may be a situation where he gets what he believes he was owed from his NIL deal and comes back next year. This isn't super likely, though, as the social media response to his leaving the team hasn't been at all positive, especially since the Rebels are undefeated. There is even speculation, albeit it could be a leak from UNLV to save face, that Sluka isn't being completely honest and thinks his hot start could lead to a bigger payday.
For now, it seems like he is transferring. While unconfirmed, some reports suggest Sluka wants to leave because he has better offers elsewhere.
It didn't take long for Sluka's father Bob to defend his son's decision. He calls the claims by Cal Reed Jr., embedded above, false. Bob also directly provided context to ESPN regarding the situation.
Sluka played four years at Holy Cross before transferring to UNLV. At Holy Cross, it became clear that he was a dual-threat quarterback, as he led the Crusaders in rushing each of his four years.
Sluka only played three games for the Rebels, leading them to wins over Houston, Utah Tech and Kansas.
Williams transferred from Campbell University. He played 41 games with the Camels from 2019-2023 and benefitted from the extra eligibility years provided by COVID-19.
Friel began at UNLV as a freshman in 2021. He used his redshirt last year, so he is classed as a redshirt junior. Friel saw his most action as a freshman when he played in nine games, and he hasn't logged more than four games in a season since.
*Friel is more of a pocket passer. His rushing yards are largely an accumulation of kneeldowns and sacks.
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