At least one person in college football strongly disapproves of the way Nico Iamaleava left Tennessee.
Iamaleava is reportedly set to enter the transfer portal this spring after a contentious holdout with the Volunteers over the financial terms of his NIL contract. The former five-star recruit will leave behind a fractured relationship with Tennessee and has started a fiery debate in sports media over whether his actions are justified.
Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal was the latest to weigh in on the topic, and his answer left no room for interpretation.
“We’re not gonna do that at Miami,” Cristobal said. “And I say that without any hesitation. If anyone’s thinking that—and they could be the best player in the world—if they wanna play holdout, they might as well play get out. We don’t wanna do that. We don’t want Miami to become that.
“Too many guys have sweat, bled, and have laid on the line in that field to ever become that kind of a program.”
Strong words from Canes Head Coach Mario Cristobal in the wake of Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava’s hold out-turned departure.
“If they wanna play hold out, they might as well play get out.” pic.twitter.com/pqJZbIVqmk
— Clay Ferraro (@ClayWPLG) April 12, 2025
Iamaleava, who joined Tennessee in 2022 on a deal that paid him roughly $2 million a year, was reportedly seeking a deal worth $4 million. In his first year as starter in 2024, the Vols quarterback helped lead Tennessee to its first College Football Playoff berth in program history, where they got knocked out in the first round by Ohio State.
In the wake of Iamaleava’s drama-filled exit, Tennessee is apparently already trying to bury the past. Vols coach Josh Heupel made a noble stand by refusing to cave into Iamaleava’s NIL demands, and in doing so he set a key precedent following college football’s first-ever holdout.
Heupel opened up about his decision to part ways with Iamaleava in Saturday’s presser:
“I said it to the guys today, there’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T,” Heupel said. “And that includes me.”
Cristobal appears to say the same about his Canes program.
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