Nico Iamaleava transfer is a case study for college football’s challenges

Fans just want to know who is going to be playing for their respective teams and get on with it.

One thing everyone has agreed on is the current NIL model, allowing for limitless player salaries and player movement, is not sustainable. So it’s noteworthy that college football’s second transfer portal window of the offseason opened Wednesday with the House v. NCAA settlement still pending.

That means the proposed salary cap of $20.5 million (to take effect July 1) — part of the settlement — is not yet applicable.

In other words, it’s still the Wild, Wild West when it comes to negotiating deals for and with players.

The players agents know this — and the coaches know that too.

That’s why it’s hard to understand how or why Tennessee managed its negotiation with now-former Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava in such an ineffective manner.

Iamaleava has proved to be a case study on how programs should not handle a negotiation and why it’s dangerous for a second transfer portal window to exist in its current form.

Let’s dive in.

Tennessee, for all its bravado of making a stand against a player attempting to renegotiate a previous arrangement, did so at a high cost.

The Vols will not have a returning starting quarterback this season in the SEC — and they lose arguably one of the top five quarterbacks in the league, at that.

It has been reported the Tennessee coaches knew in December that Iamaleava wanted to renegotiate his contract and have some assurances that he would have improved pass protection and a better supporting cast of receivers.

That’s not unreasonable when one considers the beating Iamaleava took last season, sustaining a concussion in one game and taking brutal hits in the College Football Playoff game against Ohio State to the extent that his helmet cracked.

Iamaleava did not tap out of the game as Vols star running back Dylan Sampson did in his team’s loss to Georgia earlier in the 2024 season. There’s something to be said for the effort and toughness Iamaleava showed on behalf of his school, so it’s disappointing to see him vilified in the aftermath of the failed negotiation.

Iamaleava’s renegotiation terms were not too different from what former Georgia quarterback Carson Beck asked of his program following the 2023 SEC Championship game.

The Bulldogs settled the matter quickly — paid Beck’s salary demand, assured him of an improved supporting cast — and then dipped into the December 2023 transfer portal to acquire Trevor Etienne.

The brief and successful negotiation led to Georgia winning the SEC championship the following season.

Meanwhile, Tennessee did not meet Iamaleava’s terms this past December, leading to the player’s requests spilling over into spring drills, even as he took the valuable, limited reps with starters.

Both parties knew there was a second portal window coming after spring drills — Iamaleava had that leverage available. Tennessee ultimately decided Iamaleava wasn’t worth the raise — approximately $2 million — so the player hit the portal.

Some people, including many Vols fans, applauded Tennessee’s decision not to renegotiate the deal with the quarterback.

But, even if Iamaleava isn’t “worth” the raise to $4 million a year, isn’t it “worth” $2 million for the program to bring back a starting quarterback in the SEC?

And, for those suggesting that giving in to such a demand would trigger other players to renegotiate, the fact is that many already are.

The difference is that other positions are considerably more replaceable, either through the depth chart — more than one player can gain game experience at every other position on offense and defense — or through the transfer portal.

The quarterback position is different. And if anyone knows that, it’s Tennessee coach Josh Heupel, a former national championship quarterback himself.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart has pointed out several times over that a program’s relationship with its quarterback is different because of the unique nature of the position. The quarterback clearly is the most important player on every team, but also most often the face of the program and the tone-setter on the field and in the football building.

Smart’s experience with high-profile quarterback transfers, such as NFL-level talents like Justin Fields and Jacob Eason, surely has helped him understand how to navigate the complex nature of managing the QB position.

A second takeaway from the Iamaleava saga is how a double standard exists for coaches in this area of renegotiation.

Many head coaches renegotiate their contracts when other high-profile jobs become available. Those multiyear contracts for head coaches are redone even with several years and tens of millions of buyout dollars guaranteed to them should they be fired.

Somehow, that has become an acceptable and even encouraged practice.

Now that players are being paid and free agency is available, renegotiations are a part of the game.

The pending salary cap expected to come out of the House v. NCAA settlement will provide some order. But it’s only a start.

Smart talked about the need for “comps” at positions — roughly assigned values.

But there will still be instances of renegotiations, with the potential for high-profile players at high-value positions — most notably, quarterback — leaving one program for another. In other words, this is just the beginning and the evolution of college football will continue.

More order, more common sense and more understanding is needed.