'23 CA QB Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee Verbal)

[dublinirish]

 

[NorthDakota]

Rumors were that he was getting $2m at UT, wanted to go up to $4m when they cut him. My guess is to transfer he's asking for at least that $2m amount now.

The problem there is the number of programs with that kind of money is not that high. At least in my opinion. Are any major programs down bad enough to pay millions for a guy to come in the fall?

If UT was giving him that much, it was based on five star upside and projected value he would bring in the future. At least I think so. Pay this much to get him to come here and hopefully reap benefits down the road.

Now people have more information about what he brings on and off the field. He was a middling SEC starter. So you aren't paying for production like ND tried to with Hartman or OSU did with Howard. Oh and he's clearly poisonous.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

If it is known what he has been paid and the nature and terms of his agreement with all parties then please provide a source.

What did Davonte do? A sequel:

What did Nico Iamaleava do?


It seems irrefutable that somebody TOLD him to do this. Whether it was himself, an agent, a relative, a friend, but either way, it was decided, however collectively, that it was a good idea to holdout and squeeze the school and ultimately, the team, for more money.

Unless there is something really shady going on, like what allegedly happened with the UNLV QB last year where there were agreed upon figures that weren't getting paid, somebody sought to exploit a successful run to the playoffs for more money.

Can we at least agree that in theory, this is poor judgement?

I do not have a source that said what exactly Nico got in NIL or how it was paid. However, there are sources reporting an original figure, and a secondary figure demanded and not met, and he/his camp was told to pound sand.

I've seen zero sources that have said this is a result of any previously agreed upon terms not being met.

 

[ColoradoIrish]

Why would anyone give this dude a dime? He's probably a one season rental for where ever he goes. He's draft eligible after this season and is cancer.

 

[NorthDakota]

This isn't some false parity like the NHL. Players who are selfish will get burned (Nico/Bear Alex).

What is the false parity of the NHL? Allowing Canada to have teams but ineligible for winning the cup?

 

[NorthDakota]

Why would anyone give this dude a dime? He's probably a one season rental for where ever he goes. He's draft eligible after this season and is cancer.

Coaches have big egos, and want to win. Having a QB with NFL upside (apparently) fall into your lap could be tempting if you have the money available.

 

[OKCDomer23]

Why would anyone give this dude a dime? He's probably a one season rental for where ever he goes. He's draft eligible after this season and is cancer.

It's almost quickly evolved into the school that does sign him looks really bad. I mean negotiating on a deal in the offseason is 1 thing and in college football not great since you're already under contract. Threatening to sit out before a playoff game is disgusting and clearly shows this kid doesn't care about winning. He could offer to pay me to play for my team and I'm telling him emphatically NO.

 

[LifelongFan]

Nico really thinks he's a lot better than he is. Not looking good in Heupel's very QB friendly offense is a bad sign.

I also think this will be a red flag in next year's draft. He cost himself millions.

 

[rtrn2glory]

If this thread isn't a food thread by tomorrow morning I'm hitting ignore

 

[ColoradoIrish]

What is the false parity of the NHL? Allowing Canada to have teams but ineligible for winning the cup?

Knowing the maple leafs are going to have some kind of dramatic melt down every post season brings me so much joy

 

[Katzenboyer]

Completely agree.

I have zero issue with NIL. But for people to defend a teenager holding out like he's Tee Higgins negotiating a critical second contract is bonkers. He has $2M in the bank, and got greedy, and hung his teammates out to dry. Not to mention this is a major demerit on his character, as far as the eye test is concerned. You quit on your teammates over $$ when you've already made two mil, and probably could've gotten loads more from endorsements after a playoff berth.

Free market is one thing, greed is another. They may overlap but it doesn't make being greedy correct. Kid saw green and is getting burned, so far. Serves him (&/or his camp) right.

I don't think there's a single person on this board (or CFB, really) who thinks what this kid is doing is okay.

The people "defending" NIL in this thread is in response to the "the game is ruined!" posts. Yeah, if multiple players act like this every single season, that's an issue. But is there any indication this is anything beyond one kid misplaying his hand, in disastrous fashion?

 

[ColoradoIrish]

Coaches have big egos, and want to win. Having a QB with NFL upside (apparently) fall into your lap could be tempting if you have the money available.

You're 100% correct. Dealt with a lot of these types coaching juco

 

[Sea Turtle]

 

[TorontoGold]

What is the false parity of the NHL? Allowing Canada to have teams but ineligible for winning the cup?

Having the big teams support broke ass teams. The fact Arizona was allowed to play in a mall rink.

Oh, and that they trot out this beliefs that Leafs exist as anything other than some sort of torture for me.

 

[ColoradoIrish]

Having the big teams support broke ass teams. The fact Arizona was allowed to play in a mall rink.

Oh, and that they trot out this beliefs that Leafs exist as anything other than some sort of torture for me.

The leafs exist to bring us Americans joy. 😂

 

[BoredIrish]

The leafs exist to bring us Americans joy. 😂

I live in Toronto and I love watching the annual meltdown.

Go habs go!!

 

[Dale]

Terry trolling Nico. Had no idea this Nakos guy is (looks like) a teenager

 

[CanadalovesND]

I live in Toronto and I love watching the annual meltdown.

Go habs go!!

Eat shit.

 

[NorthDakota]

Having the big teams support broke ass teams. The fact Arizona was allowed to play in a mall rink.

Oh, and that they trot out this beliefs that Leafs exist as anything other than some sort of torture for me.

Ahhhh. I'm nominally a Flyers fan so I haven't followed closely for a long time.

I pay attention to hockey on average about three weeks a year. The NCAA tournament and (if applicable) Olympics.

Bring back the Nordiques!

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

What did Davonte do? A sequel:

What did Nico Iamaleava do?


It seems irrefutable that somebody TOLD him to do this. Whether it was himself, an agent, a relative, a friend, but either way, it was decided, however collectively, that it was a good idea to holdout and squeeze the school and ultimately, the team, for more money.

Unless there is something really shady going on, like what allegedly happened with the UNLV QB last year where there were agreed upon figures that weren't getting paid, somebody sought to exploit a successful run to the playoffs for more money.

Can we at least agree that in theory, this is poor judgement?

I do not have a source that said what exactly Nico got in NIL or how it was paid. However, there are sources reporting an original figure, and a secondary figure demanded and not met, and he/his camp was told to pound sand.

I've seen zero sources that have said this is a result of any previously agreed upon terms not being met.

Nothing seems irrefutable to me. Least of which what decisions went into leaving UT. It seems his character is being attacked simply off of a very strong opinionated stance based on no facts and rumor and inuendo. Cool.

Poor judgement? Who are we to decide what is wrong or right for him. Maybe he got a shit ton of racist attacks for losing in the playoffs. Maybe the large majority of whatever collective payment package he was promised went broke and didn’t pay. Do you know if any of these possiblities did or didn’t occur? If he has value and UT gave him a package that didn’t pay up or pan out is poor judgement to go somewhere else? I don’t know. It’s all possible to me because WE DONT KNOW. Why judge him with nothing but internet rumors.

 

[ColoradoIrish]

I live in Toronto and I love watching the annual meltdown.

Go habs go!!

I'm very divided on how to feel about this lol

 

[notredomer23]

So taking a very strong and opinionated stance based on no facts and rumor and inuendo. Cool.

No one on Irishenvy has ever done this! Not now. Not ever.

 

[NDFAN420]

I don't think there's a single person on this board (or CFB, really) who thinks what this kid is doing is okay.

The people "defending" NIL in this thread is in response to the "the game is ruined!" posts. Yeah, if multiple players act like this every single season, that's an issue. But is there any indication this is anything beyond one kid misplaying his hand, in disastrous fashion?

Define "okay". In a system with no rules, he's not doing anything wrong - as you rightly pointed out, he's just being stupid. He's also doing what hypocritical college football coaches who talk about "team-building" do every year and often before their teams' most important game (their bowls). Saban did it to MSU and Kelly has done it to everyone. As I wrote earlier and many national CFB writers have since echoed (which I shared on this board), what he's doing may well lead to much-needed changes in CFB. Therefore, I'm completely in favor of what he's doing, no matter how it turns out for him. But then again I'm a firm believer in free market capitalism and also of Schumpeter-esque creative destruction.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

No one on Irishenvy has ever done this! Not now. Not ever.

Yeah. What was I thinking.

 

[Plankton]

Nico Iamaleava for less money.....

 

[NorthDakota]

No one on Irishenvy has ever done this! Not now. Not ever.

How Tennessee clawed back power in refusing QB's NIL demand

Not sure how wise it would be to take ESPN as Gospel but from skimming here i got this was that a Tennessee collective and Nico had a four year deal starting his senior year of high school, and that he was set to make $2.2 million this year, the final year of the deal.

That should help ease Cack's concerns that this may be rumor and innuendo.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

Nothing seems irrefutable to me. Least of which what decisions went into leaving UT. It seems his character is being attacked simply off of a very strong opinionated stance based on no facts and rumor and inuendo. Cool.

Poor judgement? Who are we to decide what is wrong or right for him. Maybe he got a shit ton of racist attacks for losing in the playoffs. Maybe the large majority of whatever collective payment package he was promised went broke and didn’t pay. Do you know if any of these possiblities did or didn’t occur? If he has value and UT gave him a package that didn’t pay up or pan out is poor judgement to go somewhere else? I don’t know. It’s all possible to me because WE DONT KNOW. Why judge him with nothing but internet rumors.

Lol. Okay, let's completely ignore common sense here.

UNC and even Tulane are passing on him because...it was UT's fault? Cmon man.

Everything we've read said there was a deal already agreed upon and he balked, demanding more. Idek what you're looking for, the Supreme Court to step in and have a trial?

While I get the spirit of what you're saying here, there is literally nothing out there that suggests this was anyone's decision other than Nico/his camp. It was his choice to do so. His prerogative. He had the right to do so. It backfired. It was greedy. I have an opinion on it. So do others. UT said "pound sand, this is not the type of leadership or behavior we want in this program." I applaud them for that. I wouldn't want a player doing this at ND. Why is that a bad thing? Why dig your heels on this?

Message boards are chock full of opinions. Why should this be any different?

Wetzel: How Tennessee clawed back some power in saying goodbye to QB Nico Iamaleava

Iamaleava is a seminal figure, somehow representing both ends of the pendulum swing of player empowerment.

www.espn.com

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Coaches with winning records who graduate players were getting fired and their buyouts cost millions of dollars. Most of these schools are state schools and employ the highest paid employees in their states, usually the head football coach and men's basketball coach. Ridiculous contract extensions and buyouts. Cars, houses, country club memberships.

Suddenly, "college football needs change" because the athletes are negotiating terms and getting paid millions too.

I just don't get why some people take issue with what the athletes are doing. Professional sports franchises are owned by billionaires, many of whom are employing Ivy League graduates as their general managers and or VPs of Ops. Many CFB programs on the top end have millions of dollars flowing through them, and if the one's that don't want to start trying to keep up, that's their business.

I won't villainize the athletes, and I'll probably agree with them in most cases. That being said, you want to play in the mud, you're going to get dirty. I hope ND is smart about their business with this and doesn't go down any bad rabbit holes with any of these dudes.

 

[TracyGraham]

Nothing seems irrefutable to me. Least of which what decisions went into leaving UT. It seems his character is being attacked simply off of a very strong opinionated stance based on no facts and rumor and inuendo. Cool.

Poor judgement? Who are we to decide what is wrong or right for him. Maybe he got a shit ton of racist attacks for losing in the playoffs. Maybe the large majority of whatever collective payment package he was promised went broke and didn’t pay. Do you know if any of these possiblities did or didn’t occur? If he has value and UT gave him a package that didn’t pay up or pan out is poor judgement to go somewhere else? I don’t know. It’s all possible to me because WE DONT KNOW. Why judge him with nothing but internet rumors.

Of the infinite choices, how does one's mind automatically jump to "maybe he got a shit ton of racist attacks?"

 

[Irish#1]

No one knows what was agreed to or if it was enforceable or if he got all of or only partially what was agreed upon. You are judging him off of what you only assume is the case. You dont know anything. None of us do. The NCAA does keep track. The schools arent allowed to disclose or report any of this. WE DO NOT KNOW!

If it is known what he has been paid and the nature and terms of his agreement with all parties then please provide a source.

A quick google provided this.

Iamaleava, who signed a multi-year NIL deal with the school's donor collective in 2022, wanted to renegotiate his contract. His original deal reportedly paid him more than $2 million per year.