A former Wisconsin Badgers cornerback is at the center of the story currently dominating the college football landscape and the entire sporting world.
That story: UNLV starting quarterback Matthew Sluka announced Wednesday morning that he would be sitting out the remainder of the 2024 season after disagreements over his NIL compensation.
His decision is noteworthy because UNLV is off to a 3-0 start and is currently ranked No. 23 in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll. The team was one of the favorites to become the Group of Five representative in the expanded College Football Playoff, at least as things stood before his decision. Sluka was 21 of 48 passing through three weeks for 318 yards, six touchdowns, one interception, 8.19 adjusted yards per attempt and 15.1 yards per completion. He also added 39 carries for 253 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
That is all shared to capture the gravity of his announcement. It is the most significant example of a successful player on a highly successful team exercising a redshirt due to unfulfilled NIL promises — as is how it is being portrayed.
That is where former Badgers cornerback Marcus Cromartie enters the equation. Cromartie, an agent with Equity Sports, is Sluka’s NIL representation. He spoke with ESPN’s Pete Thamel to share the following perspective on the situation:
Former UNLV QB Matthew Sluka’s NIL representation, Marcus Cromartie of Equity Sports, told ESPN that Sluka was verbally promised a minimum of $100,000 from a UNLV assistant coach for transferring there. None of that money was paid, per Cormartie.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 25, 2024
Once Sluka enrolled there, there was no effort by the UNLV’s collective to formalize a contract at that amount. Months after Sluka enrolled and Cormartie made multiple efforts with the staff and school to address the issue.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 25, 2024
In other words, according to Cromartie, Sluka agreed to transfer to UNLV under an agreement that has not been fulfilled, now multiple games into the 2024 season.
A representative with UNLV’s collective has since denied the $100,000 figure.
Rob Sine, CEO of Blueprint Sports, which operates UNLV’s collective, tells @YahooSports that the collective never agreed to a $100,000 deal with QB Matthew Sluka.
It made a payment of $3,000 to Sluka & were discussing a monthly payment of $3,000 before QB’s decision this week.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 25, 2024
There is sure to be a lot more added to this story as the days, weeks and months pass. The situation is a significant shakeup to the nature of the collective-to-coach-to-player relationships in the current age of the sport.
But our focus is the Wisconsin connection to this story. Cromartie was a Wisconsin Badger for four years from 2009-2012, the last two as a starter. He finished his Wisconsin career with 39 games played, 113 total tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception, three pass deflections and one forced fumble.
Cromartie then went on to have long, and winding, NFL career after going undrafted during the 2013 NFL draft. That included stops with the Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Detroit Lions and Montreal Alouettes (CFL).
He began work with Equity Sports in 2020, according to LinkedIn. He most recently received his MBA from Indiana University — Kelley School of Business in May, 2024.
This story is not only ongoing in that Sluka will now look to transfer elsewhere for a final season of eligibility in 2024, and in that UNLV needs a new quarterback. It may get the ball rolling toward a new organized structure for NIL, or at least an advancement past the current model.
More clarity surrounding the situation is sure to follow as more context is added to the story.
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