The Big Lead

Tennessee football sets new standard in circus NIL era after moving on from QB

The Volunteers make a massive decision that will ultimately change the way the NIL era has been going after moving on from starting quarterback.

By Tyler Reed

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava walks off the field after the win over Kentucky after an NCAA college football game.
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava walks off the field after the win over Kentucky after an NCAA college football game. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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It may only be April, but college football is bringing the drama as most teams around the country are celebrating their spring games this weekend.

The Tennessee Volunteers are one of those teams that should be celebrating their spring activities. However, instead, the program is looking to pick up the pieces after 2024 starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava left the team over an NIL dispute.

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Over the past few days, there have been reports that Iamaleava was looking to secure a bigger NIL deal from the program, but the program was not on the same page as their quarterback.

ESPN college football writer Pete Thamel reported that Iamaleava let Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel know that he would be moving on from the program, as it appears discussions over a new NIL deal had stopped.

The new world of college athletics has turned every offseason into a wild frenzy that has been dubbed the transfer portal. But in reality, it is just free agency.

It would be easier to accept if the players were on publicly known one-year deals, as is normal in professional sports. However, the NCAA seems perfectly fine sitting on the sidelines and watching the fire that is NIL continue to burn down their sports.

NIL was needed in college athletics. That's because it is not college athletics; it is a minor league system. The kids are trying to get what they think they deserve. However, programs like Tennessee are now having to make decisions they feel are right for their program.

On this occasion, the Volunteers got it right. Imaleava has yet to prove himself as a top college football quarterback, and Tennessee may be the first of many programs that won't be held hostage by new NIL deals.

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