More NIL Fallout

[EmersonUte]

UNLV QB Holding Out Based on NIL

Between the Florida QB and now UNLV QB we can’t be far away from some type of collective bargaining. Still an issue that NIL is coming from all kinds of places and not the school. It seems his holdout right before conference play was timed for maximum damage to the team. This is crazy

[utefansince79]

Seems to be a matter of time before we see a mid-season strike that effectively ends football or hoops for the year.

[Central Coast Ute]

The PAC 12 players tried something like that during Covid. Little did they know, the PAC 12 wasn’t in a hurry to play football anyway.

[High Uintas]

We need a collective bargaining agreement that both players and schools agree to.

[Tony (admin)]

I bet this happens a lot more than is publicized, especially for the smaller deals.

[DataUte]

It wasn’t really timed for damage. More like, I’m playing well, give me more money or the timing coincides with me being able to redshirt (he has a degree) and play another year somewhere else for more $.

[UtesRule]

What a total joke!!

[The Miami Ute]

The funny thing is that it isn’t as if Sluka is setting the world on fire. His stats are horrible for a modern-day QB. In his three games, he’s only thrown for 318 yards with a 43.8 completion percentage and 6 TDs/1 INT. He has rushed for 253 YDs and 1 TD. Those stats sound like Thomas Lott running the Oklahoma wishbone in the late 70s.

[Charlie]

Yes. Beat Kansas but the other two should be easy wins.

[Central Coast Ute]

You would hope he’s being told from other schools that they will pay him. But maybe he’s just betting on himself.

[TruckStopTerrors]

He was promised an NIL figure and they obviously either misled him in the hopes he would just eat it, or they couldn’t come up with it at the end of the day. I support this kid’s actions. If you make promises, you should keep them. I recall USC did this with Jordan Addison if I recall correctly. Made NIL promises that never came to fruition and he spoke out, but had no recourse because he was planning on going to the NFL after that season anyway. This kid isn’t an NFL talent, so he has the leverage to say, either pay me what you promised or I’m redshirting and hitting the portal again. You have until after game 3 to give me what was promised due to the redshirt rules. This goes beyond just this kid not getting what was promised, it’s going to impact their portal/NIL recruiting going forward. Players will know they can’t keep promises.

[Charlie]

I am thinking about how NIL works. Is it mostly 3rd parties not the school that make promises? I am thinking the school helps a bit bring parties together but at the end of the day each player is marketing themselves and bearing the risk of follow thru. I don’t know if UNLV can make a third party come thru. I suppose each NIL deal is different in level of guarantee.

[TruckStopTerrors]

It’s “3rd party” I guess…. I believe there’s certainly some collusion with the university behind the scenes as we have heard rumblings about etc. The NCAA just doesn’t have the teeth it used to in enforcing anything. Even prior to NIL players were obviously being paid. I think this is a good move by the kid and the right move. If you’re promised something by a “3rd party.” Then they better follow through with that promise. College athletics is the wild west, and I’m going to side with the kids in these type of situations even if I truly don’t like where the sport is going.

[Central Coast Ute]

If you’re just taking his word for it, then yes, I’m sure that’s the story.

[TruckStopTerrors]

Are we to believe he’s lying? Why would a QB that has no real future in the NFL decide to transfer out after starting 3-0? Keep in mind he’s been fairly mediocre. I’m much more willing to believe they promised one thing and didn’t follow through compared to him just deciding he wants to leave for whatever reason. We have seen it with other players. Now their running back is sitting out for what appears to be a similar reason…..

Edit: Sluka’s NIL representative told Pete Thamel that he was promised a minimum of $100,000 by a UNLV assistant coach for transferring there. Once he transferred there, none of that money was paid. His NIL representative approached the school and collective about getting the money promised and was offered $3,000 per month instead for the next four months($12,000-$100,000=-$88,000). The only money Sluka has received is a $3,000 stipend for his move. He did not ask for more money than the agreed upon $100,000 prior to the transfer even after the hot start to UNLV’s season. He just wanted the $100,000 that was agreed upon.

If that’s true, I can’t blame the kid at all. He was lied to.

[Central Coast Ute]

Have you been following the story? He has an agent. What kind of agent makes a verbal agreement $100k? Furthermore, an assistant coach can’t offer money, the collectives or business owners do for NIL. I’m not saying UNLV or the collective are on up and up but come on, i doubt the kid or the adults around him, especially his agent are that dumb.
Your description of him actually further proves why he would do it. He quit on his team because he has no nfl future and wants to make as much money as he can so he has to preserve his final year.
Look, maybe unlv is full of slime balls and this kid and everyone else are that dumb to fall for it. I’m sure the media will be digging into this real deep and we’ll all see what happened in the coming weeks.

[TruckStopTerrors]

I’ve been following it pretty closely actually. What contracts are signed prior to the transfer portal process in college football? Promises are made and then players evaluate their options and decide what is best for them. I believe it was Jordan Addison as I’ve referenced in a previous post on this subject that was promised certain things from USC when he transferred from Pitt. He was also upset because he was promised certain NIL money that never came to fruition. The difference is they had him over a barrel. He was going to the NFL after the season regardless. This kid isn’t. So he has leverage to pull something like this considering it wouldn’t tank his draft stock and I commend him for doing so. Whether it’s the collective, a coach, whatever, you shouldn’t promise things you cannot provide to obtain talent. All these kids have or are getting representation to max out their earning potential. It’s the smart thing to do.

As I said, their RB is leaving too, so it’s not an isolated incident.

[Central Coast Ute]

But you’re assuming it was the collective or the coach while conviently leaving out UNLV’s response. According to them they (not just the player) approached them recently and demanded $100k. As you have said, he’s not worth that much. Why would UNLV ever promise that? The school basically called it a shake down and they did the right thing by not caving into it.
The agent even said that he (the agent) was verbally promised $100k. What kind of agent does a handshake agreement with no signed contract? I’m sorry but I’m just not buying it. The agent is shady as s**t.

[TruckStopTerrors]

What contracts are signed before a transfer? Come on man, that’s common sense. It just doesn’t happen that way. All these representatives put out their “feelers” and get verbal offers. These reps or agents don’t sign any contracts in the portal. I keep pointing out this has happened before at other universities. The university saying one thing and the agent is saying another. That would’ve been somewhat of more of an IDK until we see the RB transferring too for the exact same reason. So, UNLV is trying to save face with them claiming this kid is trying to extort them. Whereas, the agent and kid have a totally different story, and now another kid is leaving too for the exact same reason. I’m more inclined to believe somebody in the program either over promised or lied to these kids because it’s happened before. I also don’t think this rep is going to dirty his own reputation to extort the university. Short term gain versus long term destruction. When was the rep hired? If he was hired prior to the portal process. Why would a guy have a rep if he was looking at the offer reportedly made of 3k per month? That makes no sense.

[Central Coast Ute]

Common sense would be signing a contract. Not signing a contract would be senseless. If what the kid and his agent are saying is correct, he is the worst agent on the planet. Literally, no agent would agree to a verbal contract.

Seriously, having a professional agent and no written contract and then throwing out claims of promises is shady as hell.

[TruckStopTerrors]

Can you provide an example of a player in the portal with representation that signs a contract prior to transferring to that school which guarantees that player X amount of dollars?

[Central Coast Ute]

No. I’m not privy to NIL contracts between collectives and players and neither are you.
Let me ask you this, if someone promised you $100k to do a job and just said “trust me bro”, would you do it without a contract? If so, I need some work done on my house if you wouldn’t mind.

[J Rocksville]

Can you provide an example to the contrary?

I’m not a lawyer and I have no more insight into nil deals than anyone else sitting on the sofa, but I do pay to have lawyers write many contracts, and we often need triggers or other contingencies written into contracts. If I were writing a nil contract, I would absolutely put in a clause that the contract is only valid once the athlete is enrolled in the school in question. I also would be on the side that a contract would need to be in place prior to any commitment in order to protect both sides.

[PlainsUte]

Another news outlet reported that NIL deals can’t be signed until player is at the relevant school (since they are in-state contracts), and promise was made while Sluka was still at Holy Cross finishing his degree. That was the reason the agent said they didn’t have it in writing. After arriving they tried to nail it down but were then being promised much less NIL $$, agent tried to negotiate for something better — so he’s being called out now for “shaking down the AD”.

[Central Coast Ute]

How does that make sense if the university isn’t the one paying him? I can’t find anywhere in Nevada state law that a business can’t pay a football player or give him a contract if he’s not enrolled at a Nevada school. I don’t think that would hold up in court at all.

Edit: Quinn Ewers signed a $1.4m dollar contract while at OSU prior to transferring to Texas. Shader Sanders also signed at Jackson State prior to transferring. The NIL goes with the player, not the school. Like I said, the agent seems shady and people are just buying what he’s saying.

[J Rocksville]

Well if one news outlet said it, it must be true lol.

[Central Coast Ute]

All you had to do was Google Caleb Williams and it would pop up. I am 100% sure he isn’t the only one. He had his NIL done before ever taking a snap at usc
link

[Central Coast Ute]

Now Google do players sign NIL contracts prior to transferring and see what you get. It really is that easy.

[PlainsUte]

Not really sure who is in the right in this one, but just to point out the RB left because he felt he was not getting enough carries (19 carries in 3 games, 108 yds). He received $0 NIL and said he wasn’t promised any.

[Central Coast Ute]

Exactly. We have no idea what was said to who.

[UteBacker]

Looks like a running back is leaving UNLV too.

Maybe this insanity has to happen to provoke the change that is needed.

[TruckStopTerrors]

The second domino falls. Interesting.

[PlainsUte]

Michael Allen left for playing time/carries issue not NIL. But it does point to a “me first” lockerroom.

[GameForAnyFuss]

Kid should have known better. Most people who go to Vegas leave with less money than they expected.

[Tony (admin)]

Some of us… ahem, need to learn the hard way.

[PlainsUte]

Great point, LoL. Maybe he was supposed to take the $3k and parley it to $100k on the craps table.

[Utes 69]

college players need to sign a contract with the team.

stop this transfer crap.

[Central Coast Ute]

It turns out the agent is just as shady as I said he was. He’s not even licensed to practice as an agent in the state of Nevada.
Also, this kid signed on with his NIL in January of 2024 and is now asking for money during the season? I have no doubt now this is a shakedown. This will lead to the players becoming university employees and signing contracts which is what needs to happen anyway. It will protect both the players and the schools.

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