Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek enforcing NIL buyouts following Madden Iamaleava transfer

A day after news broke that quarterback Madden Iamaleava was leaving the Arkansas program only four months after arriving, athletic director Hunter Yurachek sent a clear message on how the Razorbacks will handle NIL buyouts. Iamaleava is expected to follow his brother, Nico, to UCLA.

NIL contracts in the last two years have started to include a myriad of buyouts, ranging from clawbacks where athletes owe institutions dollars to schools owning athletes’ NIL rights. It remains to be seen if Iamaleava will owe Arkansas liquidated damages for leaving Fayetteville.

The former four-star quarterback just arrived at Arkansas in January, after flipping from UCLA to the Razorbacks in a stunner on National Signing Day. Sources told On3 that Iamaleava signed a one-year contract with the Arkansas NIL collective, Arkansas EDGE.

“I have spoken with the leadership team at Arkansas Edge and expressed my support in their pursuit to enforce their rights under any agreement violated by our student-athletes moving forward,” Yurachek said in a statement. “We appreciate Edge’s investment in our student-athletes and acknowledge the enforcement of these agreements is vital in our new world of college athletics. We look forward to continued dialogue with all parties in resolving these.”

While Yurachek chose not to single out one athlete, his decision to comment on NIL buyouts the day after Iamaleava’s departure is not a coincidence. A similar situation is playing out at Tennessee, where his brother, Nico, and the Volunteers have had a public divorce. Nico Iamaleava was set to make $2.4 million in 2025, instead, he’ll make less than that at UCLA.

Most schools now include buyouts in revenue-sharing contracts, or in NIL collective deals that are being transitioned to rev-share contracts this summer. Wisconsin defensive back Xavier Lucas transferred to Miami over the winter without entering the portal because the Badgers argued a revenue-sharing deal he signed included a buyout clause. Wisconsin has since indicated it might pursue legal action against Lucas.

Sources told On3 on Tuesday it remains to be seen if Iamaleava will owe the Arkansas EDGE dollars. But Yurachek’s message indicates that the Razorbacks will be enforcing NIL buyouts.

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