Tennessee Volunteer QB Nico Iamaleava holds out, demands more NIL money

[Clonehomer]

Players gonna learn real quick, one year contracts, while sometimes beneficial, might not be all that great

Unfortunately, there will always be agents that get in players ears about how they’ll get them a better deal elsewhere. If things fall through, the agent moves on to the next one and ruins a kid’s short career.

This is unfortunate for Nico to have this play out so publicly, but it’s good for future athletes to take notice that they don’t have the power they think they have.

In this case, we’re seeing an athlete potentially getting burned by their over ambition. But I’m just waiting for the first torturous interference lawsuit when a school offers a bunch of money to an athlete to leave a school they have a NIL deal with. If athletes are able to sign long term contracts like Nico did, it may be the legal system that tempers this transfer portal system more than the NCAA.

 

[AllInForISU]

Unfortunately, there will always be agents that get in players ears about how they’ll get them a better deal elsewhere. If things fall through, the agent moves on to the next one and ruins a kid’s short career.

This is unfortunate for Nico to have this play out so publicly, but it’s good for future athletes to take notice that they don’t have the power they think they have.

In this case, we’re seeing an athlete potentially getting burned by their over ambition. But I’m just waiting for the first torturous interference lawsuit when a school offers a bunch of money to an athlete to leave a school they have a NIL deal with. If athletes are able to sign long term contracts like Nico did, it may be the legal system that tempers this transfer portal system more than the NCAA.

I wonder if requiring agents to be certified is a possibility, like it is in other professional sports

 

[Clonehomer]

I wonder if requiring agents to be certified is a possibility, like it is in other professional sports

But what would revoke a certification? Would convincing an athlete to hold out like this cause them to be uncertified? If so, that’s a fine line between doing what’s best for the athletes and removing agents that test the power of the universities and the NCAA.

I think legally binding multi-year contracts with buyout clauses has more merit than finding agents that look out for anything beyond maximizing their fees. Like I said, I think contract law has a better chance of reigning in the transfer portal madness than the NCAA. It isn’t because the NCAA doesn’t want to, but their hands are tied without an antitrust exemption. Any restrictions to transferring would fail in court.

 

[AllInForISU]

But what would revoke a certification? Would convincing an athlete to hold out like this cause them to be uncertified? If so, that’s a fine line between doing what’s best for the athletes and removing agents that test the power of the universities and the NCAA.

I think legally binding multi-year contracts with buyout clauses has more merit than finding agents that look out for anything beyond maximizing their fees. Like I said, I think contract law has a better chance of reigning in the transfer portal madness than the NCAA. It isn’t because the NCAA doesn’t want to, but their hands are tied without an antitrust exemption. Any restrictions to transferring would fail in court.

I’m thinking mainly about agents that are taking up to 20% (according to CW on a few podcasts IIRC) keep it to a max of 3 percent like the NFL and it will start weeding out the real slimeballs, I would imagine. If they can’t make a quick fortune and actually have to work for it, it might make a better situation for the players and teams.

 

[CY88CE11]

But what would revoke a certification? Would convincing an athlete to hold out like this cause them to be uncertified? If so, that’s a fine line between doing what’s best for the athletes and removing agents that test the power of the universities and the NCAA.

I think legally binding multi-year contracts with buyout clauses has more merit than finding agents that look out for anything beyond maximizing their fees. Like I said, I think contract law has a better chance of reigning in the transfer portal madness than the NCAA. It isn’t because the NCAA doesn’t want to, but their hands are tied without an antitrust exemption. Any restrictions to transferring would fail in court.

I think contacting a school in a no contact window or when your client isn't in the portal should revoke a certification.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

College needs to look at the NFL model, agents are certified, so they have to meet basic requirements to represent an athlete, lock in what they can charge the player. Allow the athletes to unionize, so rules could be drawn up and contacts signed to stop this crap. Glad to see a school finally say, "enough is enough" and tell the kid he is no longer welcome. Maybe this is a first step to stop the madness.

 

[Clonehomer]

College needs to look at the NFL model, agents are certified, so they have to meet basic requirements to represent an athlete, lock in what they can charge the player. Allow the athletes to unionize, so rules could be drawn up and contacts signed to stop this crap. Glad to see a school finally say, "enough is enough" and tell the kid he is no longer welcome. Maybe this is a first step to stop the madness.

What’s the incentive for players to unionize? All that will do is limit their earning potential.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

What’s the incentive for players to unionize? All that will do is limit their earning potential.

Give them collective bargaining rights, the athletes at NW university tried to unionize, and it was thrown out of court. This system currently works for the players, what happens if the majority of schools agree to just not spend over a certain amount for players? Without a union the athletes would struggle winning a court case because schools refuse to pay what they want. This kid from Tennessee is hoping another school comes forward and gives him what he wants, but what happens if no school steps up and makes him an offer? Does he try and sue Tennessee claiming they broke the NIL deal, good luck with that. Rules need to be put into place, while it might hurt a few at the top, it helps everyone else that is not getting millions to play a sport. Remember this was extra money off your name, likeness and image, not pay of play which it has become. It does not benefit even the big dogs if the system keeps going like it is, and that is why they will come together to slow it down.

 

[Clonehomer]

Give them collective bargaining rights, the athletes at NW university tried to unionize, and it was thrown out of court. This system currently works for the players, what happens if the majority of schools agree to just not spend over a certain amount for players? Without a union the athletes would struggle winning a court case because schools refuse to pay what they want. This kid from Tennessee is hoping another school comes forward and gives him what he wants, but what happens if no school steps up and makes him an offer? Does he try and sue Tennessee claiming they broke the NIL deal, good luck with that. Rules need to be put into place, while it might hurt a few at the top, it helps everyone else that is not getting millions to play a sport. Remember this was extra money off your name, likeness and image, not pay of play which it has become. It does not benefit even the big dogs if the system keeps going like it is, and that is why they will come together to slow it down.

What in the history of the SEC makes you think this would ever happen? Someone will always pay more in our current system. It certainly favors the top players, but collective bargaining without an antitrust exemption just means you’re bargaining with the lower players and the top players will remain out of the union. And they’ll get away with it because some school will go along with it. And since each state has different rules around unions, there’s no way any state that cares about CFB will setup rules to prevent them from doing so. If the NCAA or conferences try to prevent that, they’ll get sued and lose again. It’s in the hands of the federal government to give the NCAA the power to set their rules without getting sued over them. Until they act, this ain’t getting fixed.

As far as Nico at Tennessee, I haven’t seen anything reported that Tennessee was unwilling to honor the existing contract. Maybe I’ve missed that. I have only seen that Nico wanted to renegotiate based on market changes and Tennessee essentially said no.

 

[CoachHines3]

I am not an On3 subscriber but saw a tweet with him with the logos of UCLA, UNC, and.. Tulane? Lol

 

[1SEIACLONE]

What in the history of the SEC makes you think this would ever happen? Someone will always pay more in our current system. It certainly favors the top players, but collective bargaining without an antitrust exemption just means you’re bargaining with the lower players and the top players will remain out of the union. And they’ll get away with it because some school will go along with it. And since each state has different rules around unions, there’s no way any state that cares about CFB will setup rules to prevent them from doing so. If the NCAA or conferences try to prevent that, they’ll get sued and lose again. It’s in the hands of the federal government to give the NCAA the power to set their rules without getting sued over them. Until they act, this ain’t getting fixed.

As far as Nico at Tennessee, I haven’t seen anything reported that Tennessee was unwilling to honor the existing contract. Maybe I’ve missed that. I have only seen that Nico wanted to renegotiate based on market changes and Tennessee essentially said no.

The schools at the top do not have an unending supply of money either, just a lot more than those lower down. We have already seen schools in the SEC complaining how this is getting out of hand. Every major professional sport in the US had a union representing the players, it does not matter the state the team is located in.
Right now this is an entire mess, the sport will not survive and thrive if this continues where players can up and up and leave anytime they want. If it takes congress to pass laws to make it happen, that is what is going to happen. Is that not what this agreement that is in congress now is trying to do, set guidelines up for payment to the players and give them a set amount of the money being brought in, but also what you can pay in NIL?

 

[AuH2O]

What’s the incentive for players to unionize? All that will do is limit their earning potential.

At least in football a majority of players don't really have much value on the open market. I think we see the stories about the headliners and think that represents the view of players. They do stand to lose with a collective bargaining setup. But a lot of players don't get that much, and would probably love to see a system where they can get some guaranteed value and benefits, rather than a star getting $4m while they get $100k.

So it would probably be a push from the majority of players that aren't getting huge dollars, and it would probably get pushed back on by the high value players. That divide probably looks different at schools and conferences based on size of collectives, etc.

But the battle here is probably less players as a united front vs. schools or leagues. It's probably players at different levels of the value scale fighting over if/and how much that pay for play value gets distributed.

People have been talking about for a while how there could be locker room problems if player X is getting way more than others that feel like they are just as valuable. Eventually that probably spills over into courts, especially since there is almost no NIL in NIL. It's just a big pay for play system.

There's eventually going to be some order, but I disagree that people think that's going to be some top-down rollout that the conferences, NCAA, or some group of schools organize. The courts have seemed to push hard against that. The rules will eventually come from a rift between the players that have more to gain in a collective bargaining system vs. those that have more to lose.

 

[GTO]

I mean, his name said he was going to leave anyway. "I-am-a-leava" (best read in a Super Mario voice)..

 

[Dandy]

The NCAA needs a Commissioner for every sport. Then the Commish needs to set up some sort of ground rules for this NIL madness.

 

[Dandy]

NIL was meant for athletes with actual Name Image and Likeness power. Reggie Bush, Johnny Manziel, Tim Tebow, Caitlin Clark, Anthony Davis. Not whatever this is.

 

[FerShizzle]

What’s the incentive for players to unionize? All that will do is limit their earning potential.

Maybe the schools need a union and governing body?

 

[Dandy]

FYI his 247 page has a crystal ball prediction for North Carolina.

 

[TitanClone]

Griffey Jr got paid $3,593,750 every year from 2008-2024 second highest paid player on the Reds for years after he was gone. The deferred money in the MLB is kind of trash

Ohtanis contract is structured like this too. Guarantee he moves to a state with no income tax after retiring because of it.

 

[mramseyISU]

I think with Heupel's system, he probably feels like he can plug in any decent QB and they'll produce.

 

[Clonehomer]

View attachment 147736

Looking at him now you wonder how he was a heisman winning QB. Southern cooking is pretty spectacular, but that butter and sweet tea will catch up to anyone.