Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava recently left the Volunteers team, and fans are mad at him. But ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky thinks the NCAA deserves the blame, not the young quarterback. Orlovsky says the NCAA created a system where players get criticized for making money decisions that anyone else would make.
Why Nico Iamaleava Left Tennessee
Iamaleava was a five-star recruit who was supposed to be Tennessee’s star quarterback. But he left after a disagreement about his NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) pay. Reports say Iamaleava wanted to increase his contract to about $4 million, up from the original deal that already paid him over $2 million per year.
When talks broke down, Iamaleava started missing practices and team meetings. Tennessee had to move on without him, leaving them suddenly without their quarterback.
“[The NCAA] should be ashamed that now [Nico Iamaleava] is going to get targeted and pinpointed as the person being selfish, when he’s a kid still.” @danorlovsky7 sounds off on the events surrounding Nico Iamaleava’s release from Tennessee 👀 (via @FirstTake) pic.twitter.com/GliA0YKG9u
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) April 14, 2025
Tennessee fans reacted strongly. Many called Iamaleava selfish for choosing money over loyalty to the team. Social media was filled with criticism, with some fans comparing his exit to Lane Kiffin’s unpopular departure years earlier. Fans painted Iamaleava as someone who just wanted more money rather than sticking with his team.
“[The NCAA] should be ashamed that now [Nico Iamaleava] is going to get targeted and pinpointed as the person being selfish, when he’s a kid still.”
“No one in their right mind is going to just say no. I don’t want another 1.7 or 1.8 million dollars. If you can get it, you’re gonna go get it. That’s just the reality of human beings.”
Dan Orlovsky Thinks The NCAA Should Have Done Better
On ESPN’s “First Take,” Orlovsky defended Iamaleava. He said the NCAA failed to create good rules for NIL payments. The current system lets other schools offer players more money, making it hard for players to stay loyal to one team.
Orlovsky called it a “flog by the leadership of the NCAA.” He believes the NCAA didn’t plan well for what would happen with NIL deals and the transfer portal. He thinks it’s unreasonable to expect young athletes to turn down better money offers, saying that’s just “the reality of human beings.”
KEEP READING: Nico Iamaleava Fallout With Tennessee Heats Up Transfer Portal Buzz—Top Landing Spots for $3.1M NIL-Valued QB?
Orlovsky reminds everyone that while Iamaleava might be getting paid like an adult, he’s still young and trying to figure out a complicated system. The pressure these athletes face is huge, and Orlovsky says it’s not fair to blame individual players when the real problem is with the system itself.
As college sports continues to deal with NIL deals and transfer rules, Orlovsky wants people to look at the bigger picture – the system that shapes players’ decisions – rather than blaming the players themselves.
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