Sports fans are wondering why UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka is quitting the season after an undefeated 3-0 start. On Tuesday, September 25, Sluka shocked the college football world when he revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that he said he was effectively quitting the team due to commitments UNLV that “were not upheld” after he enrolled. At the time, it was unclear what these commitments were, but his agent from Equity Sports has clarified that this apparently amounts to a broken promise.
Why did Matthew Sluka quit season with UNLV?
Matthew Sluka decided to quit UNLV for the 2024 season allegedly due to a $100,000 NIL payment that was promised to the quarterback that never materialized.
This is according to Sluka’s agent, Marcus Cromartie of Equity Sports, in a statement to the Associated Press. The quarterback signed with Equity Sports, which also represents KC Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes, after he switched schools in December. Sluka was at Holy Cross and couldn’t sign a NIL contract until he enrolled at UNLV later in the year.
Cromartie says that the $100,000 payment was promised by the UNLV assistant coach who recruited him as part of his transfer from Holy Cross to the Rebels in January. However, by July he says that Shoka was not given $100,000, only “a $3000 relocation fee” instead.
The agent has not disclosed the name of the assistant coach who apparently made the initial promise, but admits that no written contract was ever put in place.
Still, Sloka reached out to UNLV head coach Barry Odom about possible payment plans, like $10,000 a month for five months, but they were ultimately rejected. At that point, Cromartie says that “Matt felt lied to” and “wanted to stand up for himself.” He also believes that “$100,000 for a quarterback that’s in a Top 25 program is actually probably on the low tier” in the first place.
In response, UNLV says that they interpreted Cromartie’s offers “as a violation of the NCAA pay-for-play rules, as well as Nevada state law.” The schools says that it “has honored all previously agreed-upon scholarships for Matthew Sluka.”
Sluka stated on X that he utilized his “redshirt year,” meaning that he will retain a year of eligibility since he played four or fewer games in the season. So he could continue playing at another school next season.