Nick Saban Talks Matthew Sluka Leaving UNLV, Says NIL Isn't A 'Manageable System'

Legendary head coach Nick Saban lamented the current NIL structure in the wake of UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka's abrupt exit from the team.

Despite the 23rd-ranked Rebels getting off to a 3-0 start, Sluka announced he's redshirting for the remainder of the season and alluded to an NIL dispute as the precipitating factor.

As a panelist on College GameDay, Saban said he's "not opposed at all to college players making money" but said the status quo is not "a manageable system." He contended that NIL deals are closer to direct pay-for-play payments rather than endorsement contracts.

Two things can be true.

It was long past time that student-athletes were compensated in some form when conferences are signing media rights deals worth hundreds of millions annually. The most recent rounds of realignment make it even harder to maintain the facade of amateurism as well.

Having said that, the frenzied rollout of the NIL era foreshadowed a future in which situations like Sluka's would arise. In May, Georgia quarterback Jaden Rashada also sued Florida head coach Billy Napier and a school booster after an NIL deal reportedly worth nearly $14 million fell apart.

Marcus Cromartie, Sluka's agent, told ESPN's Pete Thamel and Adam Rittenberg the former Holy Cross star had a verbal agreement worth $100,000 with a Rebels assistant coach.

Friends of UNILV, a collective for the school, said it never agreed to a deal with Sluka, either verbally or more formally, and "was not involved in the recruiting process."

UNLV released its own statement saying a representative "made financial demands upon the University and its NIL collective in order to continue playing." The school believed that represented an NCAA violation and even went against Nevada state law:

There are no winners from this.

Sluka apparently missed out on a six-figure payday and he'll be looked upon as somebody who walked away from his team. That could hinder his efforts to continue his college career elsewhere.

The Rebels, meanwhile, saw what could be their best season in ages get significantly disrupted. They'll hope one of Hajj-Malik Williams or Cameron Friel can continue to power their College Football Playoff quest.

Whether it's from the NCAA or through Congressional intervention, uniform regulations within the NIL ecosystem are desperately needed.