Nico Iamaleava Ordeal At Tennessee Is Not A New 'Holdout' Trend, It Was Just Bad Business

KNOXVILLE, TN - Tennessee’s Josh Heupel knew once he left the practice field on Friday morning that he would be coming out of spring practice without his starting quarterback, as Nico Iamaleava left the Vols program for what he hopes are greener pastures. 

The chaos that ensued following a report Thursday night that brought contract negotiations into the light was going to be the final straw for Nico Iamaleava in Knoxville. What ensued following that report is what will be talked about for years to come. 

Simply put, Nico Iamaleava had folks behind the scenes that were playing a game of poker, but only holding a pair of fours. At the end of the day, Tennessee decided to call their bluff, which led to a series of events that now have the quarterback looking for a new home, and the Vols looking for a quarterback in the transfer portal. 

Once Nico Iamaleava decided to take some very bad advice from his father, and others around him, to not show up to practice Friday morning, the relationship between both sides was over. There was no coming back from this, given that it wasn't the first time that Iamaleava's ‘reps’ have tried to get more money for a player who was not worth the amount being asked for. 

And that's no slight toward Nico, it's just reality. Sure, there will be another school that comes along over the next few days and signs the talented quarterback to a deal that will provide him with a nice paycheck. 

According to multiple sources who have spoken with OutKick, the relationship between Tennessee and Nico Iamaleava was good enough to get them through past ordeals. But this one was the final chapter of his time in Knoxville. 

"When the team took the field on Friday morning, and the starting quarterback could not be found, it was over," one source mentioned. "This is a business, and Nico had a contract already in place. There's a time and place for these types of conversations, and it finally hit a point of no return. Which is unfortunate."

Look no further than the social media tirade Nico's father embarked on following the report about ‘contract negotiations’. 

Calling a reporter a b*tch for reporting on a story that you know is happening, in hopes of making that person look bad enough that a fan base won't entertain the idea that there was something going on behind the scenes. Where is the logic, when everyone who covers the sport has heard about things going on for over four months? 

There is no logical answer, besides a father trying to save face during a tumultuous time for his kid. I'm no parenting expert, but I do know something about public relations, and that's not how you handle a situation that's been discussed for months leading up to that point. 

"It’s unfortunate. I want to thank Nico for everything he did here," Josh Heupel mentioned postgame. "Obviously we’re moving forward as a program. There’s no one bigger than the Power T, and that includes me."

This Was Not A Holdout Situation For Nico Iamaleava

One aspect of all of this that has been somewhat overblown is the term ‘holdout’. There was not enough time that passed for this to be characterized as a player holding out for more money. From the time his father went on social media to blast reports, to when Tennessee was holding its morning practice, there might have been eight hours that passed. 

It wasn't some type of holdout, which has been thrown around over the last few days. There wasn't enough time that transpired in-between Nico having dinner at his OC's house the night before, leading to a morning walk-through for the football team. So, as we move forward into this era of revenue-sharing, I don't think this is something you will see very often. 

Most of these top-tier players have representation that walks them through these deals, and who will also try to keep them from doing something they might regret. In this case, Nico Iamaleava not showing up for practice on Friday morning will be something that follows him for the rest of his playing days. 

Also, when you start making calls through back-channels to test the water on how much a player could make at another school, if they decide to transfer, you can expect that to get back to their current team. This was a miscalculation on all fronts, and its not as if Josh Heupel wanted to make this move. But, he was left with no choice. 

You can't be held over a barrel, knowing that will have major implications on how you deal with NIL moving forward. Is Nico Iamaleava worth $4 million for one season? No, but that's just my opinion, which is also shared by the folks paying the bills for Tennessee. 

Somebody is going to pay him, even though it most likely won't be in the ballpark of their asking price. But the major ramifications that Nico Iamaleava will face in the future center around the public relations nightmare that unfolded through all of this. And while a lot of folks will put the blame on the athlete, at some point the person in his ear needs to take some of this public heat as well. 

Tennessee is looking for a quarterback, while Nico is looking for a new home. It's pretty wild that we got to this point, because the talented playmaker already had some comfortable living arrangements. 

Now, Iamaleava will look for a short-term rental in a new city, and hopefully an agent to guide his future.