By: Anthony Evangelista
College football just took another gut punch.
Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava has officially hit the transfer portal after a heated NIL standoff with the Vols. The slightly above-average QB last season, the one fans believed would bring a title back to Knoxville, is now bolting because $2 million a year wasn’t enough. And it’s not just frustrating for the Tennessee faithful, either. It’s proof that NIL, and the unchecked chaos of the transfer portal, is absolutely wrecking the sport we love.
Iamaleava’s move isn’t just about money. It’s about what the modern game has become: a glorified auction. The five-star turned playoff-caliber quarterback wanted to renegotiate his NIL deal, reportedly pushing for double what he was making. When Tennessee said no, he ghosted spring practice and now he’s gone.
So here we are, watching a kid with two years left of eligibility walk away from a program he just led to the College Football Playoff. Not because he wasn’t starting. Not because he was mistreated. But because he wants a payday and a bigger salary, one that was already doubling the salary of San Francisco 49ers’ starting quarterback Brock Purdy from last season.
And it’s not just Iamaleava. We’ve seen it everywhere. Luke Kromenhoek at Florida State is gone after a year, despite having the ability to grow at FSU. Top talent at Stanford and Cal treat those programs like glorified JUCO stops. They attempt to ball out for a year, then hit the portal for a bigger bag. Coaches are recruiting not just high schoolers but their own rosters every single day to keep players from being poached.
This isn’t college football anymore. It’s free agency without a salary cap. It’s boosters playing general manager. Contracts are being re-negotiated mid-season. And worst of all? It’s robbing fans and programs of any sense of continuity.
Sure, NIL had good intentions. Athletes should be compensated, and that shouldn’t be an argument. No one is saying they shouldn’t be able to make money off their name. But what we have now is a system with no rules, no structure, and no loyalty.
A player like Iamaleava can ride the wave of fan support, bring in millions in endorsements, and then walk out the door when a richer deal comes along.
College football used to be about tradition. Rivalries. Building a legacy. Now? It’s about who’s cutting the biggest check.
It’s not sustainable, and it’s not fair to the fans, the coaches, or even the players who genuinely want to compete for something bigger than a bank account balance. If the NCAA doesn’t step in soon with actual guardrails for NIL and transfer eligibility, the sport is going to keep eating itself alive.
Because if a guy like Nico Iamaleava isn’t safe, then no one is. And if college football keeps heading down this road, lifelong fans and the integrity of the game might be the next things to transfer out.
