Big CFB reporter shares explosive story and sheds light on the departure of the UNLV quarterback

The biggest sports story in the news Wednesday morning was the sudden announcement by UNLV Rebels quarterback Matt Sluka that he would sit out the rest of the season, just days before the conference opener when his team was 3-0.

In his statement, Sluka explained that UNLV had failed to honor “certain assurances” made to him when he decided to commit and move across the country after entering the portal of Holy Cross in Massachusetts. Of course, it caused a storm of indignation when a player leaves his team mid-season while it is 3-0 and has a great chance to compete in the Mountain West for reasons that were clearly NIL-related.

Sluka has been heavily criticized and labeled as “selfish” and a “slacker” by his fans on social media. But as is often the case, the perspective of Sluka and his camp has come to light, and it does not look good for the rebels.

Pete Thamel, ESPN's college football insider and one of the most trusted reporters in the industry, released a scathing report on what happened according to Sluka's representatives and why Sluka ultimately decided to use his redshirt and seek another opportunity next season.

“Former UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka's NIL representative, Marcus Cromartie of Equity Sports, told ESPN that Sluka was verbally promised at least $100,000 by a UNLV assistant coach to transfer there. According to Cromartie, none of that money was paid,” Thamel tweeted.

According to Cormartie, the collective made no effort to give Sluka any kind of formal contract, and after months of efforts by him and the agency after he had already arrived on campus, they gave Sluka a $3,000 relocation stipend to cover his moving expenses. Thamel's report added that the only money Sluka has received from UNLV or the collective is that $3,000, obviously nowhere near what he was promised when he transferred.

Cormartie says that after UNLV's strong start, Sluka did not ask for a raise as some have claimed, but was simply trying to collect the money he was originally promised.

If that's true (and the reality is probably somewhere in between), then it just reflects the ugly underbelly of the current state of name, image and likeness. Programs and collectives can essentially verbally offer whatever they want, and there's no legal recourse for unsigned players if they don't get what they were promised after upending their entire lives and moving to another state. In addition to trying to fit in with a new football team, learn a new playbook, and settle in, players must try to collect on the money they've already been promised.

Sluka is likely not the last example of a player deciding to leave a top-tier program midseason due to such issues, as the Wild West of college sports in 2024 is still as evident as ever.