Current:Home > NewsUNLV’s starting QB says he will no longer play over ‘representations’ that ‘were not upheld’ -Trailblazer Capital Learning
UNLV’s starting QB says he will no longer play over ‘representations’ that ‘were not upheld’
View
Date:2025-04-12 16:55:40
The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season!
Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka, a transfer who has led the Rebels to a 3-0 start, announced on social media Tuesday night he will not play in any more games this season, alluding to an unkept agreement struck during his recruitment to the school.
NCAA redshirt rules allow players to retain a year of eligibility if they play four or fewer games in a season. Sluka, who played four seasons (2020-23) at Holy Cross before transferring to UNLV this past offseason, still has one more year of eligibility that he could use at another school next season.
NCAA rules do not allow players to play for two schools within the same season.
Sluka did not detail the reasons behind his decision, but college athletes are now routinely being paid for their name, image and likeness by companies or third-party organizations called collectives, which serve a particular school’s athletes.
“I committed to UNLV based on certain representations that were made to me, which were not upheld after I enrolled,” Sluka posted on X. “Despite discussions, it became clear that 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.”
The senior has completed 21 of 48 passes for 318 yards, six touchdowns and one interception for the Rebels this season. He has also rushed 39 times for 286 yards and a touchdown.
In a 23-20 win over Kansas on Sept. 13, Sluka led the Rebels on an 18-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Kylin James scoring on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 1:51 left. Sluka rushed for 113 yards in the game.
The Rebels also began the season with a victory against Houston, making them 2-0 against Big 12 teams and raising hopes they could contend for a spot in the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
UNLV is scheduled to host Fresno State (3-1, 1-0) in its Mountain West opener Saturday.
UNLV went 9-5 last season and played for the Mountain West conference championship, but the quarterback who led that team to the program’s best season in nearly 40 years, Jayden Maiava, transferred to Southern California of the Big Ten.
Sluka was one of the top quarterbacks playing in Division I’s second tier, known as the Football Championship Subdivision. Holy Cross reached the FCS playoffs in 2021 and ’22 with Sluka as the starter.
After a coaching change at Holy Cross — head coach Bob Chesney left to take over at James Madison — Sluka also moved on.
He left as one of the best players in the history of the program. He is first in career pass efficiency (147.4), second in career rushing yards (3,583), second in career rushing touchdowns (38), fifth in career passing yards (5,916) and fifth in career passing touchdowns (59).
He rushed for an NCAA Division I quarterback record 330 yards in a loss to Lafayette in 2023.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and College football ' Latest News & Updates
veryGood! (79156)
Related
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- Congressional delegations back bill that would return land to Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska
- Ford opens exclusive Bronco Off-Roadeo courses to non-owners for first time
- The SAG-AFTRA strike is over. Here are 6 things actors got in the new contract.
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Move over 'LOL,' there's a new way to laugh online. What does 'ijbol' mean?
- Jamie Lee Curtis calls out transphobia from religious right in advocate award speech
- See Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater Step Out for Broadway Date Night
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- South Korea and members of the US-led UN command warn North Korea over its nuclear threat
Ranking
- As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
- South Carolina jumps to No. 1 in the USA TODAY Sports women's basketball poll ahead of Iowa
- Jacksonville Jaguars WR Zay Jones arrested on domestic battery charge
- Judge gives Oregon State, Washington State full control of Pac-12 Conference
- 'Most Whopper
- TikToker Quest Gulliford Gets His Eyeballs Tattooed Black in $10,000 Procedure
- At least four people stabbed at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston; suspect in custody
- Inflation likely eased last month thanks to cheaper gas but underlying price pressures may stay high
Recommendation
Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
Two Big Ten playoff teams? Daniels for Heisman? College football Week 11 overreactions
Alaska House Republicans confirm Baker to fill vacancy left when independent Rep Patkotak resigned
Civil War cannonballs, swords and unexploded munition discovered in South Carolina river
Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
Worker dies at platinum and palladium mine in Montana, triggering temporary halt to mining
House blocks Alejandro Mayorkas impeachment resolution
Milwaukee Bucks forward Jae Crowder to undergo surgery, miss about 8 weeks