ESPN's Rece Davis criticizes former UNLV QB Matt Sluka in NIL dispute

ESPN College game day Host Rece Davis was openly critical of former UNLV quarterback Matt Sluka during his NIL dispute with the show, which went public this week.

Sluka, no longer a member of the UNLV football team, announced his intention to redshirt and transfer after not being paid on an NIL deal that he believed was due to take him out of the program . Sluka cited “certain representations” that were not fulfilled by UNLV that were part of his decision to transfer to the school as a graduate transfer from Holy Cross over the summer.

“Matthew Sluka came from Holy Cross where he was a great player there, but he arrived (at UNLV) in July. There was no entrenched tie,” Davis began. “Probably the 'Occam's Razor' philosophy, the most likely thing, is probably true. It's probably true that he was promised something, probably, and it wasn't kept. That's probably true. It's obviously true that he didn't do it.” When you make a stupid mistake in life – if I make one, if Matthew Sluka makes one, or whoever, then sometimes you gotta take that, man Give it to you “You can't just leave the team,” Davis added.

Sluka won the starting quarterback job in fall camp and helped UNLV to its first 3-0 start in 40 years. While he completed less than half of his passes in three games with the Rebels, he was a key factor in UNLV's running offense and announced his decision to redshirt and transfer, leading to a crucial Mountain West matchup on Saturday against Fresno State led.

The CEO of Circa Sports in Las Vegas contacted UNLV and said he was willing to pay Sluka a NIL deal to resolve the dispute, but UNLV officials said the program would not work with Sluka at any time in the future .