Sep 13, 2024; Kansas Metropolis, Kansas, USA; UNLV Rebels quarterback Matthew Sluka (3) runs the ball in opposition to Kansas Jayhawks security O.J. Burroughs (5) in the course of the second half at Kids’s Mercy Park. Necessary Credit score: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Pictures Not many individuals depart Las Vegas with more cash than they got here with. That’s very true if you happen to’re not even 21 years outdated but.
UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka shall be leaving Las Vegas after quarterbacking the Rebels to an undefeated 3-0 begin.
Early Wednesday morning, Sluka launched a press release on social media explaining that he’ll redshirt and sit out the rest of this season.
“I dedicated to UNLV based mostly on sure representations that had been made to me, which weren’t upheld after I enrolled,” Sluka stated. “Regardless of discussions, it grew to become clear that these commitments wouldn’t be fulfilled sooner or later.”
Faculty soccer analyst Carl Reed Jr. reported that regardless of this assertion, Sluka’s monetary commitments had been met by the college. Nevertheless, after massive wins in opposition to Houston and Kansas, his household employed an agent and felt that his market worth had elevated.
Welcome to the world we live in.
Reviews later Wednesday morning confirmed that Sluka was approached with more cash to switch. He’s certainly executed taking part in for the Rebels and shall be transferring.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg spoke with Sluka’s father, Bob, who claimed that UNLV by no means paid his son something. Bob claims that his son’s agent labored out an NIL cope with the college again in February, and he by no means acquired any funds. In truth, he claims that his son’s residing bills weren’t even coated, which is fairly unorthodox for a high-profile school athlete taking part in a sport on scholarship.
Perhaps Sluka fudged the reality in his assertion and now his household is doing a little injury management. Perhaps the athletic division leaked false details about his household hiring an agent in the course of the evening. Perhaps the college did truly screw him out of cash that was promised. No matter what truly went down, the optics on this will not be nice for Sluka or UNLV. And head coach Barry Odom is now with out his beginning quarterback, no matter what truly went down behind the scenes.
Faculty athletes need to be compensated for his or her title, picture and likeness. However this has formally taken on a brand new lifetime of its personal. Faculty soccer at present has an unmitigated free company interval on their fingers. These athletes can discover loopholes to keep away from taking part in in video games as a result of they really feel like their market worth went up after just some wins.
It’s solely a matter of time earlier than the NCAA steps in and places an finish to this insanity. Anyone right here is mendacity. Both the college by no means compensated Sluka regardless of their promise to him, or he is actually skating out of there to chase more cash.
Think about within the NFL if an underpaid quarterback like Brock Purdy may simply inform the San Francisco 49ers, “Nah. You don’t have the funds for for me. I’m going to take a seat out till I can depart this offseason. Good luck to my teammates, although.”
However for a crew like UNLV, they’re screwed. Their beginning quarterback give up on them three weeks into the season as a result of he needs to chase more cash.
That’s not what newbie athletics are presupposed to be about. That’s not even what skilled sports activities are about, the place brokers and athletes have to attend for a devoted free company interval earlier than bouncing round to new groups.
