UNLV starting quarterback Matthew Sluka has benched himself following the team’s impressive start to the season.
Sluka shared a statement on social media Tuesday night announcing that he will not play in any more games this season. The senior said he plans to use a redshirt year because UNLV has not followed through on commitments that were made to him when he transferred to the school from Holy Cross this offseason.
“I have decided to utilize my redshirt year and will not be playing in additional games this season,” Sluka wrote on X. “I committed to UNLV based on certain representations that were made to me, which were not upheld after I enrolled. Despite discussions, it became clear that these commitments would not be fulfilled in the future. I wish my teammates the best of luck this season and hope for the continued success of the program.”
— Matthew Sluka (@MatthewSluka) September 25, 2024
While Sluka did not specify, it is likely that the “commitments” he referenced had to do with a name, image and likeness agreement. The decision is an illustration of how dramatically the landscape has changed across college football in recent years.
Sluka has gone 21/48 for 318 yards, 6 touchdowns and an interception through three games. He also has 39 rushes for 286 yards and a touchdown.
UNLV is off to a 3-0 start this season that includes impressive road wins over Kansas and Houston. The Rebels caught a huge break when Sluka made a mistake against Kansas (video here).
With a 3-0 start, UNLV has positioned themselves to be one of the teams from the Group of Five conferences to earn a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. UNLV will host Fresno State in their first Mountain West Conference game of the season on Saturday.
