The Nico Chronicles

By Mark Nagi

This whole mess could have been avoided so easily… in so many ways.

Nico Iamaleava could have gone to Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel after the Orange & White Game, told him his intentions to transfer, and both sides could have parted amicably. Sure, the fans would have been upset, but if both sides acted in good faith, life would have gone on pretty seamlessly.

Nico Iamaleava could have announced his intentions to transfer before Spring practice, giving Tennessee’s backup QBs all the Spring practice snaps, better preparing them for the Fall.

Sure, the fans would have been upset, but they would eventually appreciate Iamaleava’s efforts in 2024, which culminated in a 10-2 regular season, wins over rivals Florida and Alabama, and a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff. Nico Iamaleava could have lived up to his NIL contract obligations, finishing up the 2025 season and then turning pro. Sure, the fans would have wanted Iamaleava to stick around for the 2026 season, but they would have wished him well in the NFL.

But now?  The bridges have all been burned.

Iamaleava will join the ranks of linebacker Henry To’o To’o, baseball pitcher Chase Burns, and basketball center Jonas Aidoo on the Mt. Rushmore of players Tennessee fans at one point beloved and now despise.

The now former Vols quarterback reportedly received $2.4 million in 2024 from his NIL deal with Tennessee. Not bad money for a player who completed 64% of his passes and had a QBR (ESPN’s Total Quarterback Rating) of 70.5, tied for 36th nationally in 2024.

But even with those fairly pedestrian stats, “Team Nico” wasn’t satisfied with their financial arrangement. ESPN’s Chris Low reported that right before the winter transfer portal closed, Iamaleava’s representatives wanted to see his NIL deal reach the $4 million a year level. They were pressing again right before the spring transfer portal opened.

Iamaleava’s team was shopping his services around the country, especially on the West Coast.  Remember, Iamaleava is from California. Reports began to leak that Oregon was one of his preferred landing spots … and that Ducks head coach Dan Lanning (or someone on his staff) contacted Heupel to let him know that he was approached by the Iamaleava camp.

“It’s Nico’s father that screwed this whole thing up,” said ESPN’s Paul Finebaum, a Tennessee grad. “Anybody who knows the University of Tennessee knows that he’s been a problem since day one. I’ve seen this with other parents who have always been in the way.  There’s one person to blame here, and that’s this young man’s father. Let’s quit sugar coating it.”

College football programs like Notre Dame, Southern Cal and North Carolina reportedly turned down the chance to bring in a former 5-star recruit, balking at the $4 million price tag, and wanting no part of what had turned into a toxic situation. Team Iamaleava tried to stop the bleeding. On Wednesday, April 16, the same day Iamaleava officially entered the transfer portal, Front Office Sports posted an article with comments from someone they described as a “close family friend,” denying many of the claims that had been lobbied against Nico Iamaleava and his family/representatives.

Once again, Tennessee was at the front and center of a massive shift in the college athletics landscape. In 2022, Tennessee was at the forefront of NIL, as their collective signed Nico Iamaleava to a reported $8 million deal. In 2024, Tennessee was at the forefront, as their attorneys general (along with Virginia’s AG) aggressively protected the recruitment of Nico Iamaleava, suing the NCAA and getting them to tap out. And now, in 2025, Tennessee was at the forefront of telling student-athletes “enough is enough,” refusing to give in to contract demands, even for their 5-star quarterback.

You can’t spell NIL without Nico Iamaleava.