Following a dramatic week between Nico Iamaleava and the Tennessee Volunteers, endless chatter has commenced on what truly went down. The ex-Volunteer QB sat out of practice looking for a raise in terms of NIL (name, image, and likeness) money.
Tennessee did not take the move lightly, and rather than giving the 6’6″ quarterback what he wanted, they dismissed him and parted ways. Now, one plugged-in reporter believes he can pinpoint the problem amid the entire debacle.
Nico Iamaleava Not the ‘Real Villain’ in Misunderstanding With Tennessee
While there was a clear disagreement and misunderstanding between Tennessee and Iamaleava, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes there is a deeper-rooted problem. He pinned the failure on Mark Emmert, the embattled former NCAA president who stepped down in 2023 after a 13-year tenure leading the organization.
“Which brings us to the real villain here and that’s ex-NCAA president Mark Emmert, who ignored the writing on the wall for 20 years that telegraphed these days were coming,” Breer wrote. “Instead of addressing the obvious and looming problem, he and his cronies kept cashing checks, then bailed just as the NIL era was dawning—Emmert announced his retirement in April 2022, less than a year after college athletes started getting paid.
“Bottom line: The NCAA had the chance to get ahead, and didn’t, and there are plenty of real-life consequences that resulted from it. I’d just hope now that Iamameava’s future isn’t one of them.”
Breer fears that Iamaleava leaving Tennessee may be a career-defining move, and not in a good way. As the Sports Illustrated insider sees it, this is an issue that has gone on far too long and will impact current and future collegiate athletes.
Did Mark Emmert Set a Dangerous Precedent for Future Stars?
Beginning the gig in 2010, Emmert worked as the NCAA’s president for 13 years. When he left for retirement in 2023, Emmert received a massive $4.3 million severance payment. He oversaw several controversial moments in college sports, including a child sex abuse scandal at Penn State and the whole Johnny Manziel controversy at Texas A&M.
Manziel believes he may have missed out on $5-10 million worth of NIL money throughout his time with Texas A&M. Manziel also claims that if he were to have earned that NIL, he could have been prompted to stay in college longer than he did.
Fast forward to 2025. NIL has been implemented in college sports, but there are still noticeable issues. These are major problems that could have been solved years ago, according to Breer — maybe even in the Manziel era.
As current athletes find their footing in the world of NIL, it will be interesting to see whether Iamaleava’s move will be beneficial or detrimental to his future and the futures of others.