Joel Klatt provides thoughts on Matthew Sluka redshirt, NIL promises

UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka has opted to redshirt the rest of the 2024 season with the intention the enter the NCAA transfer portal this offseason.

Sluka is leaving the program alleging certain representations that were promised at the time of his commitment were not upheld by the university. Sluka believed those commitments “would not be fulfilled in the future,” and wished his teammates luck for the rest of the season.

The choice to redshirt has drawn both praise and criticism across the football world, and Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt chimed in with his two cents on the matter, noting that it “sucks” for everyone involved.

“If Matthew Slula felt like he was promised something that didn’t appear sucks for him, too,” Klatt said. “I know that that’s not popular but as he decides to utilize his redshirt, that was the only recourse he had. If he was promised something and it didn’t show up, then he’s got to do that because if he just continues to play and say, like, ‘Oh, it’ll be resolved.’ Then he’s out. He’s got, he’s got no ability for recourse.

“Now, he could have played one more game for UNLV and still retained his red shirt, but it kind of came to a head last week. I read all the articles and listen, right now, it certainly seems like there was fault on a lot of different parties. Probably more on Sluka and his representation for not getting anything in writing — maybe they’re misrepresenting what was promised. I certainly believe that something was promised, or else, I don’t think he would have taken this draft drastic of of a measure.”

Across three games, Sluka completed 21 of 48 passes for 318 yards, six touchdowns and an interception to go with 286 rushing yards on 39 carries and an additional touchdown. Given that he didn’t use that final game to play in may shed light on how tense the situation was behind the scenes.

Klatt said that there’s a lot going on in the “shadows” that nobody sees. Saying “it literally is the Wild West,” thanks to the litany of changes and lawsuits throughout college football in the last half decade.

“And now it’s a giant mess,” he said.

He also pointed out that teams are not allowed to induce a player or his representation with money in order to get him to commit to their program — yet it happens all the time. This is another case of that, Klatt said. Perhaps this is why it was never in writing.

This is where NIL collectives come into play, which Klatt described as the eerie side of college football. Made up of boosters that are technically unaffiliated with the universities, these lump sums of cash that recruits and transfers are being offered isn’t paid out by the school but instead by these collectives.

While it’s still unclear exactly how Sluka and UNLV’s relationship soured, it’s unlikely this will be the last time something like this will happen in the NIL era of college football.

The NCAA transfer portal opens on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024.