QB Matthew Sluka leaves UNLV – What we know and what’s next

After leading his team to a 3-0 start, UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka announced late Tuesday night that he had ended his playing days with the Rebels because he had not kept promises regarding his NIL compensation.

Sluka, a transfer from Holy Cross, plans to sit out the rest of the season as a redshirt and re-enter the transfer portal in December. His sudden decision raises questions about the nature of his financial agreement with UNLV, how the deal fell through and who ultimately bears responsibility for an undefeated team losing its best quarterback.

Here’s what you need to know as this story continues:

Who is Matthew Sluka?

Sluka came to UNLV this summer after a successful career at the FCS level at Holy Cross. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior was a three-year starter and a two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which goes to the FCS's top offensive player. Sluka was named the 2023 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year after totaling 1,728 passing yards and 1,247 rushing yards with 29 touchdowns.

At the end of the season, Holy Cross coach Bob Chesney and his staff left to take on James Madison, and Sluka decided to explore his options in the transfer portal. UNLV acquired him after they lost starting quarterback Jayden Maiava, the Mountain West Freshman of the Year, to USC.

After three games, Sluka led all Mountain West quarterbacks in rushing yards per game and had 253 total rushing yards. He threw for 318 yards with seven total touchdowns and one turnover, leading a Rebels offense that ranks fifth in the FBS in rushing.

How is UNLV doing this season?

After an impressive 9-5 debut season, coach Barry Odom has the Rebels in the running for a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. UNLV is off to a 3-0 start with upset road wins over Big 12 teams Houston and Kansas. Sluka powered the team's win over the Jayhawks on Sept. 13, posting 124 rushing yards on 19 carries, 86 passing yards and a touchdown.

The Rebels rose to No. 23 in the coaches poll this week after their week off. UNLV and Boise State are popular favorites for a spot in the first expanded playoffs. If the Rebels win the Mountain West, they have a good chance of securing the bid.

What we know about Sluka's departure

Sluka's NIL representative, Marcus Cromartie of Equity Sports, told ESPN that Sluka left the program after a UNLV coach verbally promised him at least $100,000 and he only received $3,000.

His father, Bob Sluka, told ESPN they had a verbal agreement with UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion for what they believed was a “reasonable, fair amount,” even though it was much lower than what the Power 4 programs were offering. But payments were repeatedly delayed and there were no efforts to negotiate a contract with the staff for that amount.

After UNLV's win over Kansas, Bob Sluka said Odom and Cromartie spoke on Sept. 19 and the head coach refused to honor the agreement. Instead, he offered $3,000 for moving expenses and claimed the offer wasn't valid because it didn't come from him. Sluka's camp claims they never went to Odom to ask for more money, just what they were promised up front. Marion declined to comment to ESPN.

Rob Sine of Blueprint Sports, the company that manages UNLV's collective, confirmed to ESPN that Sluka did not have a written contract with the collective and said the collective was not aware of any commitment to pay Sluka $100,000. Sine also confirmed that Sluka received a payment of $3,000.

In a statement, UNLV said Sluka's representatives made financial demands to continue playing, which the athletic department interpreted as a violation of NCAA pay rules and Nevada state law. “UNLV does not engage in such activities nor does it respond to implied threats,” the school said in the statement.

How can Sluka walk during the season?

College football players cannot currently enter the transfer portal, but they can leave a program whenever they want. The NCAA transfer portal window does not open until Dec. 9, which is the Monday after the conference championship games. Sluka cannot enter his name in the portal until then and cannot join another team to continue playing in 2024.

The decision Sluka made is not uncommon in the world of transfer recruiting. Every year, many players decide to transfer because they disagree on NIL value and payments, and there were several cases this spring where players re-entered the transfer portal to get more money from another school.

Aside from financial issues, his motive for leaving now is to take advantage of the four-game redshirt rule and play one more college season in 2025.

What is the redshirt rule?

College football players can gain an extra season of eligibility if they play four or fewer games in a year and take a redshirt season. The rule was implemented in 2018 and has traditionally been for younger players who play few snaps as backups. The NCAA is currently considering expanding that four-game maximum to exclude conference titles, bowl games and college football playoff games. Sluka played four seasons at Holy Cross and did not use a redshirt year. Because he began his career in 2020 during COVID-19, he could use an extra season of eligibility in 2024. Redshirting will allow him to play in 2025.

Do such NIL disputes occur frequently?

Such issues arise all the time but rarely reach the public. Quarterback Jaden Rashada suing Florida coach Billy Napier and others over a $13.85 million deal that fell through is by far the most high-profile example of a player trying to hold a school accountable for broken promises. But such issues are common in a market where ZERO odds are often exaggerated during the recruiting process.

The agreements players make with NIL collectives at schools are not binding employment contracts. It is common for players and their families or representatives to demand more money from a collective than was originally agreed to, especially when they receive better offers from other programs. But equally common are cases where players earn less money than they expected or were promised verbally or in writing.

“We're a hard-working family,” Bob Sluka told ESPN. “To have an athlete like Matt, we don't care about the money. But it's about a principle. He's not the first athlete this has happened to. We've heard from millions of kids that they're not getting their money. So maybe Matt has to be the poster boy, but we don't want that. But we're not going to let Barry Odom just stand up and say, 'Fuck you, I'm not paying you, get your ass on the field.'”

What does this say about the state and future of NIL?

Sluka's departure from UNLV sheds a troubling light on the situation for everyone involved, as the rules governing player compensation are about to change dramatically.

If approved, the House v. NCAA antitrust settlement will usher in a new era of revenue sharing in college sports starting in 2025-26. Colleges will then be able to pay their athletes directly through NIL contracts up to a certain amount. That amount is expected to be between $20 million and $23 million per college next year and increase annually.

This settlement is currently on hold after Judge Claudia Wilken refused her preliminary approval on September 5 and asked the lawyers to “reconsider” the restrictions on NIL payments to third parties from collectives.

As it has modernized college sports, the NCAA has long opposed a model that would consider athletes to be employees of the college and has been lobbying Congress for several years to get federal lawmakers to help prevent athletes from being considered college employees.

What’s next for UNLV?

The Rebels will continue with seniors Hajj-Malik Williams and Cameron Friel as their top options at the quarterback position as they enter Mountain West Conference play against Fresno State on Saturday.

Williams, an FCS transfer from Campbell, appeared in two games this season and rushed for 88 yards on 10 carries during UNLV's 72-14 rout of Utah Tech. In his five seasons with the program, he became Campbell's all-time leading passer with 8,236 yards and 58 touchdowns. Friel has made 10 starts for the Rebels over the past two seasons.

Adam Rittenberg contributed to this report.