UT has the money, why not just pay up

[Manchester Vol]

We will all know just how awesome Nico is if he gets a team this year and plays. Ain’t no way he has the quality around him that he left. His dad was stupid for doing this.

 

[gunner]

We will all know just how awesome Nico is if he gets a team this year and plays. Ain’t no way he has the quality around him that he left. His dad was stupid for doing this.

Tennessee and Nico are both big losers next season. They should have come to some kind of agreement.

 

[OrangeLife]

We were a 10-3 team with Nico but not because of him. He was the 7th-8th ranked SEC QB last year in most every category. We won last year because of the defense and the running game. I'm a season ticket holder and have been a supporter all my life and I applaud the university and their decision along with the stance Coach Heupel made. I didn't have anything against Nico, but he never endeared himself to the fans like Kelly, Shuler, Peyton, Dobbs, Hooker or any of the Tennessee QBs who came before him. I understand it's now become big business, but I'd play the guys we recruited that want to be here and see what they can do. I believe in Coach Heupel's ability to coach them up.

 

[Sub Par SUPERSTAR]

Broken record, I know, but man, this era sucks. Never did I ever think I'd see the likes of "We have the money, let's spend it!" in relation to student athletes. I'll tow the line and quote the line, (which I do believe to an extent) that the players did deserve to get something, the were certainly get a raw deal, but this is too much. It's Pandora's Box, I don't know. It needs to be rectified some way some how, because my interest in this stuff has nearly waned completely away and I'm clearly, CLEARLY not in the minority. Just sad and awful.

 

[wmcovol]

It’s also been reported that he wants more money.

That was supposedly settled before he went thru spring. Today, who knows.

 

[dobre_shunka]

Who is Nico’s agent? I did search and couldn’t determine.

According to this, he may not have one. This article gives the impression dad is doing all of this.

Pressure growing on Nico Iamaleava’s dad after $8 million Tennessee standoff went wrong

"Iamaleava doesn’t have an agent like many players do to handle typical NIL negotiations. Instead, his dad and Landers, who is well known in high school and college football circles and a former Florida personnel staffer, handle the majority of negotiations with programs and their collectives.

Landers was not directly involved in any of the recent contract talks between Iamaleava and Tennessee’s collective,”

I also didn't know his brother transferred 3 games into his high school senior season and was then ruled ineligible and sat the season out. And flipped his commitment to Arkansas without even visiting the school other than when they went to last year's Tennessee-Arkansas game.

 

[90 Vol]

Was Nico just our next JG. Big time 5-star recruit that really was not what we were told. Both were good guys but looking at production they are equal. Nico just happened to have better coaching and team but production was very close to the same.

Yep! Many were in denial, but Nico was JG 2.0 in the making. I’m glad we ripped the band aid off now so we can move on.

 

[gunner]

That was supposedly settled before he went thru spring. Today, who knows.

That was reported settled with Nico too after the season ended when he wanted to enter the portal. We found out later that Nico was never given a raise. I have a difficult time believing anything about NIL negotiations when it comes from this collective. I feel like they have a real credibility problem.

 

[ButchPlz]

That was reported settled with Nico too after the season ended when he wanted to enter the portal. We found out later that Nico was never given a raise. I have a difficult time believing anything about NIL negotiations when it comes from this collective. I feel like they have a real credibility problem.

If them not paying people were remotely true, it would be out just like the UF stuff, and it would be used far and wide by other programs to discredit us. I find it hard to believe the Iamaleavas, who have demonstrated repeatedly that they care about themselves alone, over our collective.

Like I told someone else, turn on your brain.

 

[JBVolunteer]

In many ways, the NIL era truly began with Nico’s recruitment. With NIL still operating like the Wild West, it’s up to Tennessee to take the lead in setting a precedent and self-regulating. It’s probably naive, but the hope is that the rest of the SEC—and the broader Power 5—will recognize the risks of continuing down this unchecked path and band together to enforce what is right. Even if federal regulation never comes, there must be a clear and universally understood set of rules that no one is allowed to cross.

 

[ButchPlz]

In many ways, the NIL era truly began with Nico’s recruitment. With NIL still operating like the Wild West, it’s up to Tennessee to take the lead in setting a precedent and self-regulating. It’s probably naive, but the hope is that the rest of the SEC—and the broader Power 5—will recognize the risks of continuing down this unchecked path and band together to enforce what is right. Even if federal regulation never comes, there must be a clear and universally understood set of rules that no one is allowed to cross.

Until a bunch of collectives and schools get sued for collusion and forming a cartel.

 

[JBVolunteer]

Until a bunch of collectives and schools get sued for collusion and forming a cartel.

And that’s the irony—by trying to bring order without a formal framework, they’re walking a fine legal line themselves. If the NCAA or the schools aren’t careful, the solution to the chaos could end up being just as messy as the problem they’re trying to fix. You can’t have “rules” that only apply when convenient and expect to avoid antitrust heat.

 

[gunner]

If them not paying people were remotely true, it would be out just like the UF stuff, and it would be used far and wide by other programs to discredit us. I find it hard to believe the Iamaleavas, who have demonstrated repeatedly that they care about themselves alone, over our collective.

Like I told someone else, turn on your brain.

I didn’t say that they didn’t pay people, please don’t put words into my mouth.

I said, Nico was NEVER given a raise after last season as we were lead to believe.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

And that’s the irony—by trying to bring order without a formal framework, they’re walking a fine legal line themselves. If the NCAA or the schools aren’t careful, the solution to the chaos could end up being just as messy as the problem they’re trying to fix. You can’t have “rules” that only apply when convenient and expect to avoid antitrust heat.

In the end the lack of an antitrust exemption means this will be messy. The NCAA or any collection of schools cannot collude to stabilize the NIL or transfer situation without getting sued and losing on Antitrust grounds.

Congress can provide an antitrust exemption and even work out a special status for college athletes that they are "not quite employees but not just student athletes either" which could keep the college in college athletics.

Congress. Oh yeah, that's encouraging.Those guys should have it worked out no later than 2085.

 

[Delmar]

I didn’t say that they didn’t pay people, please don’t put words into my mouth.

I said, Nico was NEVER given a raise after last season as we were lead to believe.

Maybe old age is kicking in. I never heard Nico was given a raise after last season. I’m thinking that would have been all over the news and this site if it happened. It sounds like his camp tried to blackmail UT before the playoff game and were politely told no. Do you have a link where that was stated?

 

[JBVolunteer]

In the end the lack of an antitrust exemption means this will be messy. The NCAA or any collection of schools cannot collude to stabilize the NIL or transfer situation without getting sued and losing on Antitrust grounds.

Congress can provide an antitrust exemption and even work out a special status for college athletes that they are "not quite employees but not just student athletes either" which could keep the college in college athletics.

Congress. Oh yeah, that's encouraging.Those guys should have it worked out no later than 2085.

It can be fixed without the NCAA or Congress. The key is to shift the coordination and enforcement of standards away from the NCAA and the schools themselves—because when schools or conferences act together, it starts to smell like collusion under antitrust law.

Here is a workaround:

Create an Independent Regulatory Body like FINRA for finance or the USADA for anti-doping in sports:

• Not run by the NCAA
• Not controlled by universities
• Instead, it would be a neutral third-party nonprofit, maybe chartered federally or created by stakeholder partnership (athletes, schools, agents, etc.).

Schools and athletes could voluntarily agree to follow its standards—similar to how accreditation works in higher education. Voluntary adherence avoids the antitrust trap, because there’s no forced restriction of trade.

 

[DaddyChad]

According to this, he may not have one. This article gives the impression dad is doing all of this.

Pressure growing on Nico Iamaleava’s dad after $8 million Tennessee standoff went wrong

"Iamaleava doesn’t have an agent like many players do to handle typical NIL negotiations. Instead, his dad and Landers, who is well known in high school and college football circles and a former Florida personnel staffer, handle the majority of negotiations with programs and their collectives.

Landers was not directly involved in any of the recent contract talks between Iamaleava and Tennessee’s collective,”

I also didn't know his brother transferred 3 games into his high school senior season and was then ruled ineligible and sat the season out. And flipped his commitment to Arkansas without even visiting the school other than when they went to last year's Tennessee-Arkansas game.

Supposedly has different representation now. Wonder if Landers is the one “close to the situation”? Wants his name no where near this.