Earlier this week, UNLV quarterback Matt Sluka announced he would not play for the rest of the season after not receiving $100,000 that was allegedly promised to him upon transferring from Holy Cross. Sluka retained his redshirt by exiting the program before playing in more than four games this season.
This being Las Vegas, a gambling executive tried to fill the gap.
In an attempt to keep Sluka in Sin City, Mike Palm, the vice president of Vegas-based sportsbook Circa Sports, reached out to the school and offered to pay the $100,000, according to the Action Network. UNLV passed on the opportunity and said the quarterback is no longer with the program.
The Rebels are currently 3-0 and off to one of their best starts for a program that doesn’t have much history since Randall Cunningham starred for them in the ‘80s. They’re the only Group of Five team ranked in either the AP or coaches’ polls, giving them an outside shot at making college football’s expanded playoff.
UNLV and its collective have denied Sluka’s claims about the purported $100K oral offer. Even the NCAA has weighed in, saying future NIL disputes like this need to be avoided. The situation could have major ramifications throughout college sports.
Palm said when he saw Sluka’s social media post announcing his departure, he asked his boss, Circa Sports CEO Derek Stevens if they could possibly help. The NCAA forbids players from accepting gambling-related NIL deals, but Palm told the Action Network that there were non-gambling NIL deals they were looking at offering Sluka before being told he was no longer with the program.
“Mr. Stevens was willing to help the university get there,” Palm told Action Network. “One hundred thousand dollars is a small price to keep UNLV’s College Football Playoff hopes alive.”
UNLV, sitting at No. 23 in the coaches’ poll, faces Fresno State on Saturday night in a tough Mountain West conference matchup. Messages for comment from Circa Sports, UNLV and the Friends of UNLV collective were not immediately returned.
