Sluka's rep: QB left due to UNLV offering $88K less than promised

Former UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka's NIL representation opened up about the passer's sudden exit from the Rebels, saying it stems from Sluka not being paid what he was promised before joining the school.

Marcus Cromartie of Equity Sports - who represents Sluka - said Wednesday that the QB was verbally promised a minimum of $100,000 from a UNLV assistant coach for transferring there, but none of that money was paid, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Sluka played at Holy Cross from 2020-23 before joining UNLV this past offseason.

Cromartie said there was no effort by UNLV's collective to formalize a contract worth $100,000 with Sluka despite Cromartie's repeated attempts to address the situation. Instead, Cromartie said that the school offered Sluka a contract worth $3,000 monthly for a four-month span, which would've been $88,000 less than what was originally promised. The only money Sluka received from UNLV was a $3,000 relocation stipend, according to Cromartie.

Rob Sine, CEO of Blueprint Sports - which operates UNLV's collective - responded to Cromartie's claims Wednesday, saying they never agreed to a deal worth $100,000 with Sluka, according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. Sine confirmed that UNLV's collective made a payment of $3,000 to Sluka and that they were discussing a monthly payment of $3,000 this week.

Cromartie introduced himself to UNLV officials in late August, according to Sine, who says that Sluka's agent stated at the time that he was seeking more NIL opportunities for his client. Sine, however, told Cromartie and Sluka to address the situation directly with the coaching staff because Cromartie isn't a registered agent in the state of Nevada yet.

"The collective may not have agreed to $100,000, but coaches did," Cromartie said later Wednesday, per Dellenger. Sluka's agent added that the QB's recruiter was UNLV offensive coordinator Brennan Marion.

Matthew's father, Bob Sluka, said his son originally agreed to an NIL deal with the school back in February and never asked for the agreement to be adjusted, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg.

"They keep deferring, 'We don't know. You have to wait,'" Bob said. "Then it was like, 'We're going to give him game checks.' So we're like, 'OK, great.' We did not ask for a single dollar (more)."

With both sides unable to reach an agreement, Sluka decided to evaluate his options. He released a stunning statement Tuesday night, announcing he doesn't intend to play for UNLV anymore and will redshirt in 2024.

"I committed to UNLV based on certain representations that were made to me, which were not upheld after I enrolled," Sluka tweeted. "Despite discussions, it became clear that these commitments would not be fulfilled in the future. I wish my teammates the best of luck this season and hope for the continued success of the program."

Sluka's decision to sit out is a big blow to a UNLV team that's a candidate to be in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. The Rebels are 3-0 this season, including 2-0 against Big 12 teams. By redshirting in 2024 after just three games, Sluka keeps his final year of eligibility for 2025.