The search starts. Tennessee Volunteers will start looking for a new QB, and Nico Iamaleava will search for a new program to sign up with ahead of the 2025 season. The reason for this fractured relationship? Millions of dollars. You see, the QB missed practice last week (Friday) as his representatives were busy negotiating with the program for a better deal, and the incident took place just one week before the opening of the spring transfer portal. And with just four months left for the next season to start, many interpreted this as Iamaleava trying to hold the program hostage…

Sure, Iamaleava is a big name in college football, but he also struggled with accuracy on second and third-level throws in 2024. He stood 76th in the nation in passing yards per game (201.2) and was 43rd in completion percentage (63.8) and so the fact that he was looking for a bigger deal didn’t sit well with many. Reports have suggested that the signal-caller wanted double the amount. Some staffers think the quarterback could get north of the $2.2 million he was slated to receive from Tennessee, but anything more than $3 million might be difficult. However, Tennessee knows its priorities.

Head coach Josh Heupel chimed in during a Vol Network broadcast on Saturday and shared his thoughts. “It’s the state of college football. At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program. That includes me, too.” And now Iamaleava is getting criticized for his actions. In a post on X, former NFL QB Chase Daniel summed it all up:

“Alright, so I tweeted about this yesterday morning. ‘A 20-year-old college athlete making $2.4 million THIS year is unhappy & wants $4 million’. The starting quarterback from Tennessee, he wants $4 million. I woke up to news this morning that Pete Thamel said they are moving on from their starting quarterback. I like it.

“You cannot have a quarterback hold your team hostage. I’m sure he is going to get more money but it’s just not worth it. More importantly, the NCAA, you have to figure out some guidelines and some rails and some rules in this whole situation. This will not be the first person to do this moving forward. People are going to sit out but college is about amateurism; They are not pros. If you are gonna make them pros, collectively bargain something like they do in the NFL. Give them contracts where they are tied to the school as well. I just don’t get it… What do you think college football is coming to?”

Perhaps instances like this are what coaches and athletic directors have been warning the NCAA about for the past few years. But here’s the real kicker: Brock Purdy, the 49ers’ starting QB and one of the NFL’s breakout stars, is expected to earn $5.3 million this year. However, when he first signed up with the league, it was a four-year, $3.7 million contract. Meanwhile, Nico Iamaleava wanted $4 million for one year of college ball. Let that sink in. Purdy’s rookie deal averages just under $934K a year. The man has proven himself on the biggest stage, and yet 16 college athletes made more than him through NIL deals last year. That’s insane.

Nico Iamaleava is not the only one cashing big checks, though. Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is reportedly pulling in $4.7 million a year—more than a ton of actual NFL QBs. This shift is raising a huge question: Has college football gone full-on semi-pro? And if so, where’s the regulation? People are not happy.

The $4 million Nico Iamaleava fallout!

When Nico Iamaleava first landed his $8 million deal in 2022 (with Spyre Sports Group), it was game-changing. But fast forward to now, and that kind of money is raising major questions. Who’s advising these players? Are they ready for this level of business negotiation? A scouting expert didn’t hold back on X: “Iamaleava is getting really bad advice… he looked shaky in the Playoffs vs. Ohio State. Needs two more years, maybe at $2.4M per year.” Even a sports attorney called it out: “It’s antics like this that are accelerating us toward a college football CBA. Nico is only hurting the guys that come after him.”

The concern? If every young athlete starts demanding raises mid-season, how do programs keep any sense of order? Iamaleava move has one fan saying, “Prime example Chase of the craziness,” while yet another voiced their unhappiness with Nico, “This kid is insane!! Unreal opinion of himself! Hopefully nobody signs him…”

Even NFL star Micah Parsons didn’t hold back: “College football a joke now! Y’all might as well just make college into a semi-pro league! Actually hold players accountable to the contracts they sign!” Another person raised objections to the NCAA: “The pathetic and inept NCAA not enforcing rules is threatening to ruin College Football…So, we need a governing body to step in and enforce mutually agreed upon rules…it is really that simple.”

The solution being tossed around? A collective bargaining agreement—just like the pros. Standard contracts, salary caps, maybe even a player union. Sounds wild, but at this rate, it might be the only way to keep things from spiraling.

Tennessee’s not wasting time. Their NIL collective is already on the hunt for Iamaleava’s replacement. In today’s NIL era, you’ve got to be ready for anything, especially when star players can dip with zero warning. This whole situation is a wake-up call for programs across the country: Get ahead of the chaos or get left behind. Notably, a post on X stated, “Anybody that didn’t smell this was going to be a result of paying college players only fooled themselves. No way everybody didn’t see this coming. EVERYBODY. No way.”

Nico Iamaleava’s exit isn’t just drama—it’s a defining moment for college sports. NIL has cracked the door wide open for player empowerment, but it’s also brought a flood of complications. If colleges want to survive this new world, they’ve got to find the sweet spot between giving players the freedom to earn and keeping their teams grounded. What do you think?