NIL money has finally allowed college football athletes to get paid by universities, but it’s also caused several unforeseen challenges. They say winning cures everything, but not for Matthew Sluka and the UNLV Rebels.
The Rebels, who are 3-0 and ranked 23rd in the coaches poll for the first time in their 47-year school history, will no longer have their preferred starting quarterback for the rest of the season.
Related: Week 5 college football rankings
UNLV Rebels lose starting QB Matthew Sluka over NIL snafu
According to Matthew Sluka, who’s the starting quarterback for the UNLV Rebels, he’s suddenly deciding to use the rest of this season as a redshirt year. As mentioned, he helped the Rebels get out to a 3-0 start, so why redshirt now?
According to Sluka, he committed to UNLV “based on certain representations” that have not been upheld. In other words, speculation suggests Sluka is heading to the sidelines because his NIL deal is no longer being honored.
Paloma Villicana of Fox Sports reports Sluka has been “approached with more money to transfer” by an unknown school. Either way, he’s decided to make this a redshirt year.
Sluka did have the Rebels at 3-0, but the 6-foot-3 Holy Cross transfer has been far from perfect.
- Matthew Sluka stats: 43.8% comp. rate, 318 passing yards, 6 TD, 1 INT, 253 rush yards, 1 TD
Still, to lose your quarterback in the middle of the week? That’s a challenge coach Barry Odom couldn’t have seen coming. Now the Rebels have to prepare for their upcoming matchup against Fresno State with a new starting QB under center.
Related: Heisman Watch 2024: Jaxson Dart rises in Week 5 Heisman Trophy rankings, latest Heisman odds
