The conflict between the UNLV football program and starting quarterback Matthew Sluka has swiftly escalated into a typical “he said, she said” situation.
On Wednesday, Sluka announced in a statement that he will not compete for UNLV for the rest of the season to preserve his redshirt eligibility. The senior attributed his decision to the school not fulfilling the commitments made when he transferred from FCS school Holy Cross before the season began.
According to Sluka’s agent, a UNLV coach who recruited him guaranteed that the quarterback would receive at least 100,000 r playing with the Rebels. However, the school reportedly reneged on this agreement and stated Sluka would only earn 3,000 per month.
UNLV’s NIL collective is managed by an agency named Blueprint Sports. Rob Sine, the CEO of Blueprint, stated to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports on Wednesday that there was never any agreement to pay Sluka $ 100,000. In response, Sluka’s agent, Marcus Cromartie from Equity Sports, reaffirmed that UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion made the offer during the recruitment process.
Rob Sine, CEO of Blueprint Sports, which operates UNLV's collective, tells @YahooSports that the collective never agreed to a $100,000 deal with QB Matthew Sluka.
It made a payment of $3,000 to Sluka & were discussing a monthly payment of $3,000 before QB’s decision this week.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 25, 2024
Cromartie did not rule out Sluka returning to UNLV, saying that is up to head coach Barry Odom but that “$3,000 a month for the next four months just isn’t fair.” As of Wednesday afternoon, Sluka’s bio had been removed from the official UNLV Football page:
Here's what Matthew Sluka's UNLV page looks like now. He's no longer listed on the roster. https://t.co/IiXtm1zEki pic.twitter.com/wMKiT40HlQ
— Paolo Uggetti (@PaoloUggetti) September 25, 2024
Sluka has completed 21 of 48 passes for 318 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception over three games. He has also carried the ball 39 times for 253 yards and one touchdown. UNLV is enjoying a 3-0 start, featuring significant road victories against Kansas and Houston.
The Rebels have positioned themselves as contenders from the Group of Five conferences for a place in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, but they will need a new quarterback to step up.
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