Quarterback Matthew Sluka has left UNLV, despite a 3-0 start to the season, after claiming he did not receive his promised $100,000 NIL deal money from the school.
As it turns out, just 24 hours after the news broke, the VP of operations at Circa Resort and Casino, Mike Palm, offered $100,000 to give to Sluka.
Palm told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "(Circa CEO Derek Stevens) and I talked about the situation and thought it would be worth it for $100 thousand to keep the Rebels' playoff hopes alive."
However, at this point it was seemingly too late, as the university said Sluka was already gone.
Sluka, who transferred from Holy Cross after four seasons, has since released a statement.
"I committed to UNLV based on certain representations that were made to me, which were not upheld after I enrolled. Despite discussions, it became clear that these commitments would not be fulfilled in the future. I wish my teammates the best of luck this season and hope for the continued success of the program."
— Matthew Sluka (@MatthewSluka) September 25, 2024
UNLV responded by saying they honored all previous scholarships for Sluka, and that his financial demands they felt were deemed in violation of NCAA pay-for-play rules, as well as Nevada state law.
Statement from UNLV Athletics, which states that the school interpreted "financial demands" from Matthew Sluka's agent "as a violation of the NCAA pay-for-play rules." pic.twitter.com/TZ4Bktpmm4
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) September 25, 2024
In three starts this year, Sluka passed for 318 yards (6 touchdowns, 1 interception), in addition to having 253 rushing yards (1 rush TD).
Now UNLV's backup quarterback, Hajj-Malik Williams, will get the start this Saturday (3:30 pm ET) vs. Fresno State at Allegiant Stadium.
Williams is a six-year transfer out of Campbell University in North Carolina. With this in mind, it seems bettors actually believe Williams behind center could be an improvement, as now UNLV is a 1.5-point favorite for Saturday's game. This means the school may have their playoff hopes still alive after all.
Related: Michael Allen, UNLV Running Back, Enters Transfer Portal
