UNLV Refutes Claims of Former Quarterback as Second Player Leaves Program

Things are getting absolutely crazy in Las Vegas.

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The UNLV Rebels football program has found itself at the center of the college football news cycle on Wednesday, and it's not because of their 3-0 record.

Starting quarterback Matt Sluka made massive headlines when late on Tuesday night he took to his social media account to announce he would be sitting out the remainder of the UNLV season, using his redshirt, and entering the portal due to "certain representations" made to him upon being recruited out of the portal that had not been kept.

Things took an even crazier turn when college football insider Pete Thamel published a report that included allegations from Sluka's camp against UNLV and its NIL collective that he was promised $100,000 to transfer, but had only received $3,000 after months of trying to get a formalized contract. As if things couldn't get more off the rails than that, UNLV Athletics and its NIL collective put out a statement that refuted the claims made by Sluka's representation.

"Football player Matthew Sluka's representative made financial demands upon the University and its NIL collective in order to continue playing," the statement read. "UNLV Athletics interpreted these demands as a violation of the NCAA pay-for-play rules, as well as Nevada state law. UNLV does not engage in such activity, nor does it respond to implied threats. UNLV has honored all previously agreed-upon scholarships for Matthew Sluka. UNLV has conducted its due dilligence and will continue to operate its programs within the framework of NCAA rules and regulations, as well as Nevada state laws."

Shortly after the statement was released, another Rebels football player, running back Michael Allen, did the exact same thing as Sluka and announced via social media that he was ending his season, using his redshirt, and entering the transfer portal, stating that "expectations for opportunities unfortunately were not met." Allen did make another post about an hour after the first and state that his decision was not NIL related and was due to on-field opportunities.

Regardless, things are not pretty in Las Vegas right now. You have two sides saying the complete opposite in Sluka's camp and the school/collective. It seems more likely than not that a verbal agreement was made with no written contract, and neither side comes out of this situation looking particularly good.

For UNLV, they will turn the page now with former Campbell quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams, who transferred in the winter and was slated throughout the spring to start before Sluka's arrival. Sluka, on the other hand, will get a chance to enter the portal again in January and try to find another situation that he feels is better suited for him.