UNLV: QB’s NIL demands violated NCAA pay-for-play rules

Former UNLV starting quarterback Matthew Sluka left the team because the university failed to make good on a promised payment of $100,000, according to his father and agent.

UNLV, along with its third-party collective that arranges so-called “name, image and likeness” payments to student-athletes, strongly disputed their version of events.

Sluka, a senior transfer from Holy Cross, announced late Tuesday that he would be using his redshirt year and leaving the program because of “representations that were made to me, which were not upheld after I enrolled.” This comes after he led UNLV to its first 3-0 start since 1984.

Sluka’s agent, Marcus Cromartie of Equity Sports, and his father, Bob Sluka, told multiple outlets Wednesday that the quarterback left because the university reneged on a verbal offer of payment.

But UNLV released a statement in response, implying Cromartie’s communication with the school wasn’t above board.

“(Cromartie) made financial demands upon the university and its NIL collective in order (for Sluka) to continue playing. UNLV Athletics interpreted these demands as a violation of the NCAA pay-for-play rules, as well as Nevada state law,” the statement said. “UNLV does not engage in such activity, nor does it respond to implied threats. UNLV has honored all previously agreed-upon scholarships for Matthew Sluka.”

Blueprint Sports and Entertainment, which supports UNLV’s NIL program, Friends of UNILV, also issued a statement denying any such offer to Sluka.

“There were no formal NIL offers made during Mr. Sluka’s recruitment process,” the statement said. “Additionally, Friends of UNILV did not finalize or agree to any NIL offers while he was part of the team, aside from a completed community engagement event over the summer.”

Sluka was paid $3,000 in the separate deal for the summer obligation, which was fulfilled through the Child Cancer Society when he enrolled in June, a source close to Blueprint said. Cromartie publicly described that money as a “relocation fee.”

Claims about coach

The complication lies in Sluka’s father’s claim to ESPN that it wasn’t the collective that promised the big payday, but offensive coordinator Brennan Marion. Marion could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Cromartie said on SiriusXM College Sports Radio that he spoke with multiple UNLV coaches and was told $100,000 in NIL money “wouldn’t be a problem.” He claims these conversations took place while Sluka was still enrolled at Holy Cross as he completed his graduation requirements in the spring before he could join UNLV.

“So we have an agreement that was made in place in January. You can’t sign a NIL agreement without the student being enrolled at the school,” Cromartie said. “So there was seven months that we had to just wait … and just understand that this verbal agreement was what it was.”

Cromartie added that he pursued payment for Sluka as soon as he arrived at UNLV, only to be met with claims that the offer wasn’t valid since it didn’t come from head coach Barry Odom. Cromartie said he attempted to negotiate down from $10,000 a month to $5,000 a month, only to be told that $3,000 a month was the best that could be done.

“At that point I think Matt felt lied to. At that point he just wanted to stand up for himself,” Cromartie told The Associated Press.

‘Everything by the book’

Bill Paulos, a UNLV alumnus and booster who serves as the president of the Friends of UNILV, was incredulous at the account of events from Sluka’s side.

“It would be different if NIL started yesterday, but NIL has been around for almost four years,” Paulos told the Review-Journal. “It’s inconceivable to me that there would be no realization that there needed to be a contract.”

Paulos has been part of UNLV’s athletic support efforts for years, dating back to the Runnin’ Rebels Club, which was founded in 2013 to help raise funds for the UNLV men’s basketball team.

“If (Sluka) was promised $100,000, I guarantee you I’d know it,” he said. “We do everything by the book. If there’s no contract, there’s no payment.”

Paulos claims Cormartie didn’t make his initial outreach to the collective until last month, and it appears he isn’t a registered agent in Nevada.

“We received an email from that agent in late August,” Paulos said. “(Cromartie) said he was exploring NIL opportunities with friends of UNILV and mentioned nothing about a contract or Mr. Sluka not being paid.”

Cromartie did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Next man up

There’s nothing stopping Sluka from playing elsewhere — after he sits out the rest of this season. NCAA rules allows student-athletes to use a redshirt year as long as they play in four or fewer games. Sluka just won’t be able to play again until next season.

Sluka’s father and agent didn’t reject the idea of resolving things with UNLV, according to the AP, but the Rebels have already moved on.

During his regular radio show taping Wednesday, Odom said that the team is “excited” about quarterbacks Hajj-Malik Williams and Cameron Friel, who lost a three-way competition with Sluka in fall camp. Odom said Wednesday’s practice was one of the Rebels’ best this season.

The likely starter will be Williams, a sixth-year transfer from Campbell, who left as the program’s leader in career passing yards (8,236) and passing touchdowns (58).

Multiple Rebels voiced support for Williams on social media, posting the No. 6 in an ode to his jersey number.

“Bout time! Let’s ride,” defensive captain Jackson Woodard said on X in response to a post calling Williams “QB1,” or the starting quarterback.

UNLV hosts Fresno State at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Allegiant Stadium.

NCAA issues

Sluka’s alleged deal gone wrong is an example of the growing pains associated with the NCAA’s move in 2021 to allow student-athletes to be paid for endorsements and sponsorships.

Under the current model, regulations for NIL are left to state laws. The NCAA stands as a defendant in multiple federal antitrust lawsuits filed on behalf of former athletes looking to recoup payment for the previous use of their NIL, and the NCAA has agreed to allow its schools to pay players directly as part of a pending suit.

Court approval of this settlement would allow programs to fulfill their own NIL offers for players.

NCAA senior vice president for external affairs Tim Buckley issued a statement Wednesday in support of that outcome.

“The NCAA fully supports college athletes profiting from their NIL, but unfortunately there is little oversight or accountability in the NIL space, and far too often promises made to student-athletes are broken,” Buckley said. “Positive changes are underway at the NCAA to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but without clear legal authority granted by the courts or by Congress, the NCAA, conferences and schools have limited authority to regulate third parties involved in NIL transactions.”

Contact Callie Lawson-Freeman at clawsonfreeman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.