Nico Iamaleava Contract Negotiations Highlight Preposterous Problems with NIL Climate
One would never mistake me for being a Nico Iamaleava fan. However, I can admit that Tennessee’s $8 million volleyball player can spin it. He’s flashed greatness, and if it happens more consistently, the Vols offense will be downright scary.
I can have a conversation with you about what his capabilities are on the football field (so long as they’re filled with backhanded compliments). I cannot have an open and accurate conversation about his compensation from the powers that be at the University of Tennessee. That’s the biggest problem with the NIL era of college athletics.
On3’s Pete Nakos reports that Iamaleava is currently in the middle of contract negotiations with Tennessee. It’s unclear if he’s using the spring transfer portal window as leverage, but it certainly looks that way.
Iamaleava became an early case study in the NIL era. Will paying a top-flight QB a bunch of money win you football games? The quarterback signed the most prolific known deal by a high school player, worth up to $8 million over three years, according to The Athletic.
After redshirting as a freshman, Iamaleava helped guide the Vols to a CFP appearance in his first year as a starter. He was not the primary reason why, but he still played well enough for Tennessee fans to delude themselves into thinking they were beating Ohio State at The Shoe in a postseason football game.
All of this sets the stage for college athletics’ biggest current problem, and how it applies to fans of the University of Kentucky, particularly on the basketball side.
Iamaleava Watched Others Get Paid
We would not be at this point if the NIL bubble wasn’t about to burst. The NCAA vs. House case is on the verge of settling, which would drastically change how players are paid. Once the proposal is finalized, schools will directly pay players and all NIL deals must receive approval through a clearinghouse.
Schools and collectives have spent years fortifying their NIL coffers for the long haul. Now it all must be accounted for before the House settlement is finalized. Schools are overpaying players because they have money they have to spend.
Nico Iamaleava is expected to receive just north of $2 million this fall. Carson Beck (Miami) and Darian Mensah (Duke) signed $3 million deals. He wants to get a slice of that pie.
How Do Renegotiations Work?
Does he actually want a bigger slice of that pie? Or does Tennessee want to pay him less? We don’t know.
That is without a doubt the worst part of this entire process. Everything is done in the shadows. We only know “reported” deals because agents leak them to reporters. That’s not fair to fans who help finance the deals or the coaches who must figure out a way to assuage egos and balance a budget to build a roster.
The timing of this renegotiation is pertinent to Kentucky fans. Most assume Otega Oweh is returning to Kentucky next year. What if he wants more money and somebody else is willing to pay him more than any other player in the transfer portal?
At least Oweh is a more cut-and-dry example. Kentucky fans are confident the UK NIL brass will make sure their leading scorer is taken care of financially. It would be an embarrassment to the program if he left.
What about the other guys where things aren’t so clear? Does Mark Pope ask Collin Chandler to take a pay-cut to help them sign Jayden Quaintance? How did Brandon Garrison handle the Quaintance news?
The House settlement will not answer all of these questions and solve all of these financial problems. Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Hopefully, the sun starts shining soon.
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