UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka quits on his team in the midst of a potential magical run to the CFP
At Holy Cross, an FCS program, quarterback Matthew Sluka established himself as a standout athlete and a quarterback who would have a few bigger schools on his radar, and him on theirs as well.In the 2024 offseason, Sluka transferred to UNLV. His time at UNLV was marked by an impressive start, leading the Rebels to […]
At Holy Cross, an FCS program, quarterback Matthew Sluka established himself as a standout athlete and a quarterback who would have a few bigger schools on his radar, and him on theirs as well.
In the 2024 offseason, Sluka transferred to UNLV. His time at UNLV was marked by an impressive start, leading the Rebels to a 3-0 record with two wins against Power Four schools. During these games, Sluka displayed his dual-threat prowess, throwing for six touchdowns and rushing for 253 yards, including a standout performance against Kansas where he was instrumental in securing a 23-20 victory.
Sluka was about to be a part of what could have been a really cool story — UNLV becoming a very relevant football school again, all while trying to become a Power Four, or Five, a school in the sport. And, let's not forget, they are leading the race for the Group of Five team to make the playoffs.
But, things can change so quickly. On Monday night, Sluka announced on Twitter that he would be using his redshirt abilities to discontinue playing so he could transfer after the season was over. It came as a surprise to everyone. Here is what his statement said:
“I committed to UNLV based on certain representatives that were made to me, which were not upheld after I enrolled. Despite discussions, it became clear 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”
Not only does this make him look bad, but in some ways this makes the school look bad, too. At first. This would seem like the school is not committing to its promise. But, after several close to the situation have spoken out, that's completely false.
It seems as if Sluka went to head coach Barry Odom’s office at some point this week and demanded an increase in NIL, or pay, which Odom said they couldn’t do and that made Sluka mad, which now he has decided to utilize his redshirt and transfer.
According to Carl Reed Jr., all financial commitments were completely met. However, when the Rebels beat Kansas and Houston, two P4 teams, Sluka’s family hired an agent and they collectively felt that his market value had increased.
This has now made Sluka look extremely bad, and frankly, entitled. You play for what you signed for, and it's already more than what Holy Cross was giving him, so this just comes off as he's being money-hungry. Now, when he does transfer, who's going to want to take on this team? This is UNLV, they are not a school that can print money like Alabama and Georgia.
UNLV will be going with either Hajj-Malik Williams or Cameron Friel going forward, both who are seniors.
