Latest Twist in College Football's NIL Dilemma Alarming Coaches

Pittman says quite a bit on SEC Teleconference without saying anything definite on UNLV QB leaving

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman and defensive coordinator Barry Odom before the Red-White Game at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark., in 2021. / Michael Morrison-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach Sam Pittman danced lightly around question his former walking buddy has a quarterback problem now. He also didn't mention if he and UNLV coach Barry Odom have talked lately.

Rebels quarterback Matt Sluka announced on social media Tuesday night he's out and made it pretty clear the reason is about NIL payments not being made as what he indicated were promised.

pic.twitter.com/oK5BDRpoxK

— Matthew Sluka (@MatthewSluka) September 25, 2024

As you might guess, the subject came up in Wednesday's SEC Teleconference during Pittman's segment there.

"We all are concerned about it, to be honest with you," Pittman said. "What happened, he said, she said, all that. The one thing about a football coach is you can’t really comment on those things and the kid can. The kid can, the agent can, whoever can, but you can’t."

This is also the time coaches probably aren't calling their former bosses about it. Odom spent three seasons here as the defensive coordinator. His son is the quarterback for the Fayetteville High School Bulldogs, who scored 54 points last Friday night and still lost to Texas High in Texarkana, Texas, by a single point.

Pittman's got a point, though, we may be missing. Let's not be too quick to start slinging accusations around about who's at fault in a situation where we only have a social media posting about.

"A lot of times, the real story is somewhere in between," Pittman said. "That’s the thing about being a coach. You can’t really have an opinion on those things because you’ll get crucified in the media and all that, but we’re all concerned about that."

This would mark the first time (at least publicly) that a player has elected to take a redshirt and transfer in-season due to NIL agreements not being met. You can probably be safe to guess it won't be the last time.

Now the answer to the looming questions is nobody can really do anything about it. The courts simply won't allow that to happen.

All of the rulings right now have gone in favor of the players making whatever somebody is willing to pay them. Now we get into the area where they are bailing out if folks don't live up to what they were promised.

If this was done by some representative of an NIL collective that would be one thing. If it was done by a coach or member of the Rebels' staff that's going to be another issue. We probably don't even know all of the fall-out about that.

That's because nobody really knows what the rules are. Right now, though, the players don't care.

It's really a typical business transaction. If one side doesn't live up to the terms of what was agreed upon in terms of making a payment for services, then it's typical to withhold providing tht service. It always depends on who broke the contract first.

Assuming, of course, there's anything like a binding contract in this. Figure that one out and we'll all have an idea which direction this is going.

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