Report: Father of Matthew Sluka reveals UNLV didn't follow through with NIL agreement

After just three games, UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka announced he was leaving the team after representations “were not upheld” by the program. Speculation about the decision has run rampant on social media over why Sluka made the decision, thought to be for NIL purposes.

Sluka’s father has provided clarity on the decision, telling ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg his son never received NIL payments promised by the UNLV staff during his recruitment. He also says Sluka nor the people around him asked for “a single dollar more” than what was originally agreed upon.

“Bob Sluka, father of UNLV QB Matthew Sluka, told ESPN that his son’s agents agreed to an NIL deal with the school back in February, never received payments despite requests and never asked for any adjustments to the original deal,” Rittenberg said via X.

“We have no idea what the hell happened,” Bob Sluka told Rittenberg. “They keep deferring, ‘We don’t know. You have to wait. 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].”

Per Rittenberg’s report, Sluka did not even have his living expenses covered.

On3’s Pete Nakos spoke with Sluka’s NIL representation, Marcus Cromartie of Equity Sports. They say the quarterback was promised “a minimum” of $100,000 by UNLV, a sum not paid according to his father. Marcus Cromartie of Equity Sports told Nakos the only payment Sluka received was $3,000 for relocation to Las Vegas from Holy Cross.

With Sluka leaving the team, he now has the opportunity to redshirt this year and start fresh somewhere else in 2025. He has thrown for 318 yards, six touchdowns, and an interception while completing 43.8% of his throws. Sluka was a threat on the ground for the Rebels too, rushing for 253 yards and a touchdown while averaging 6.5 yards per carry.

UNLV is set to play Fresno State on Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 12:30 p.m. PT.