Wolverine Digest

Dave Portnoy says he'll pay $3 million to bring an elite quarterback to Michigan

Chris Breiler

Apr 1, 2023; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines helmet on the sideline during the Spring Game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Apr 1, 2023; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines helmet on the sideline during the Spring Game at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
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There's no question that NIL has become the hot topic around college football over the last 24 hours. It began when UNLV starting quarterback Matthew Sluka announced that he would be redshirting for the remainder of the season due to unfulfilled NIL promises from the university. It was a stunning announcement given the fact that UNLV is currently 3-0 and one of the early Group of Five favorites to land in the College Football Playoff.

According to multiple reports, Sluka was verbally promised a minimum of $100,000 from a UNLV assistant coach for transferring there. The problem is that Sluka claims he never received any of it. On Wednesday, the veteran quarterback said that he committed to UNLV based on certain representations that were not upheld after he enrolled.

The announcement obviously set off a major discussion on social media regarding today's reality of college athletics and NIL. While most pounded their fists that the NCAA was to blame for failing to install necessary guardrails, others blamed the selfishness of players who are only interested in financial opportunities. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, NIL has absolutely changed the landscape of college athletics.

For more evidence, look no further than Dave Portnoy's recent comments. On Thursday, Portnoy - a Michigan Alum who's also the founder and owner of Barstool Sports - indicated that he'd be willing to pay upwards of $3 million to get an elite quarterback in Ann Arbor.

"I will be your quarterback guy," Portnoy said. "You just say, 'Dave, you go...' -- I'll talk to Sherrone, 'who do you guys want? Who's in there? Give me your group, I'll go get them.' I will sign them. A million, two million, whatever it is."

When asked how high he'd be willing to go for an elite quarterback, Portnoy didn't hesitate. "$3 million."

Although it's hard to tell just how serious he is, his net worth is reportedly in the neighborhood of $100 million - meaning he can certainly afford it. And the crazy part is that, with the current lack of oversight regarding NIL, this is actually something that could occur in today's college athletics. If a multi-millionaire businessman wanted to offer millions of dollars for an elite quarterback to commit to the University of Michigan, he could do it.

There's a part of me that thinks this is just an awful indictment of where we are in the world of college sports. There's another part of me - an even bigger part - that's hoping Portnoy actually follows through and delivers.

Welcome to College athletics in 2024.

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Chris Breiler
CHRIS BREILER

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