Analyst jokes that Auburn football bought UNLV QB Matt Sluka out of his contract and tampered

Matt Sluka was not paid out the NIL amount he was promised by UNLV -- and now the former Holy Cross star QB is sitting out the season following a 3-0 start for the Rebels. On SI's Brooks Austin has a hunch that a team bought him out of whatever agreement was in place with UNLV, but the College Football Nerds account took it a step further and joked that Auburn football is the program that did it.

The Tigers could use Sluka. Most teams in the country would view him as an upgrade. But there will be no chance for Sluka to prove that in 2024.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Sluka was paid $88,000 less than what was promised to him up front by UNLV.

"Once Sluka enrolled there, there was no effort by the UNLV’s collective to formalize a contract at that amount," Thamel prefaced before saying, "Months after Sluka enrolled and Cormartie made multiple efforts with the staff and school to address the issue. He said the school and collective came back with a contract of $3,000 per month for the next four months. That’s $88,000 less than what Cromartie said UNLV verbally promised up front.

"The only money Sluka has received from UNLV, per Cromartie, is a $3,000 re-location stipend for his move. Cromartie said there was never an ask for more money after UNLV's hot start, only the initial amount he was promised up front."

Hugh Freeze should've spent for Matt Sluka in the transfer portal to get Auburn football a true QB1

Freeze didn't want to spend a million dollars on a transfer portal QB, but it appears the price for Sluka was much less than that. In hindsight, Freeze would probably like that mulligan; though maybe not, since he appears infatuated with what Payton Thorne does at the position.

Either way, Auburn is in a rut with no capable QB1s as their SEC schedule strengthens in difficulty. At least they have a QB, though.

UNLV can't say the same. That's what happens when you play games with money in college football's NIL era.