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After a 3-0 start, UNLV QB Matthew Sluka will sit out the rest of the season due to a dispute over NIL payments

UNLV's starting quarterback will sit out the rest of the season because the school failed to make verbally promised payments, his father and agent said Wednesday.

Matthew Sluka, who helped the Rebels to their first 3-0 start in 40 years, said Tuesday that he will use a redshirt this season and will not play any more games.

Sluka’s name, image and likeness representative, Marcus Cromartie, said ESPN that Sluka was “verbally” promised at least $100,000 by an assistant coach before he committed to the school this offseason, but only received $3,000 in relocation money. Sluka's father Bob said The athlete that two agents negotiated the money over the phone in February and that they did not ask for any additional payments during the team's good start to the season.

“Basically, they refused, (coach) Barry Odom refused to give us the money,” Bob Sluka said. “We tried everything. We took payments. Everything. And they just kept putting it off and putting it off, and to this day we don't know why.”

UNLV did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sluka's move is unprecedented in the new age of transfer portal movements and NIL decisions in college football. The decision to redshirt during the season and retain eligibility for a potential transfer has become a trend throughout college football over the past two seasons. Players can play four games and still redshirt for a season.

In the past, however, these moves have often been made by players who are low in the rankings and don't get significant action. Sluka, on the other hand, was the starting quarterback on a team that was one of the feel-good stories of the 2024 season, with a chance to win its conference and perhaps reach the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.

The group of 5 has secured at least one place in the playoffs, and The athleteUNLV, which plays in the Mountain West, is projected to be at 18 percent. The Rebels' record already includes wins over Big 12 opponents Houston and Kansas.

The program had just two winning seasons from 2000 to 2022. Odom, now in his second year, won nine games in his first season as coach of the Rebels and led the team to the Mountain West Championship Game for the first time.

Sluka, a native of Locust Valley, NY, transferred to UNLV this offseason after spending the last four years at Holy Cross, an FCS program. In 2023, he was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 1,728 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushing for 1,247 yards. He finished fourth in voting for the Walter Payton Award, given to the FCS's most outstanding offensive player.

In three games this season, Sluka has rushed for 318 yards, six touchdowns and one interception and leads the team in rushing with 253 yards and one touchdown.

In his statement on Tuesday, Sluka alluded to promises that were made at the time of his appointment and which he said were never kept.

“I chose UNLV based on certain promises that were made to me, but were not kept after I enrolled. Despite discussions, it became clear that those promises would not be fulfilled in the future,” he wrote. “I wish my teammates the best of luck this season and look forward to the continued success of the program.”

After reaching the Mountain West Championship Game last season, UNLV lost its previous starting quarterback to the transfer portal. Jayden Maiava led the Rebels' run and was named the 2023 Mountain West Freshman of the Year. He was courted by top-tier programs like Georgia and USC. He ultimately decided to play for the Trojans and is the backup to Miller Moss.

Now UNLV has lost its starting quarterback again, but this time within the first month of the season and with a 3-1 Fresno State team traveling to Las Vegas to face the Rebels on Saturday afternoon.

The only other quarterback on UNLV's roster to attempt a pass this season is senior Cameron Friel. He completed his only pass attempt over 30 yards. Friel was named the 2021 Mountain West Freshman of the Year after throwing for 1,608 yards, six touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Friel attempted 226 passes that season, but only 50 in the three seasons since.

Also in the mix is ​​FCS transfer Hajj-Malik Williams, who rushed for 8,236 yards and 58 touchdowns in five seasons at Campbell. True freshman Gael Ochoa joined the program in January. Whoever starts will have the advantage of throwing to star receiver Ricky White III, who has just 126 receiving yards this season but will have 1,314 in 2023.

(Photo: Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)

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