Arkansas puts departed QB Madden Iamaleava in its crosshairs by encouraging NIL collective to recoup buyout

Two hours after quarterback Madden Iamaleava entered the transfer portal Tuesday, Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek rattled his saber.

It didn’t matter whether the statement was directed at the brother of superstar Nico Iamaleava, because the message was clear: pay your NIL buyout or face legal action.

Players enrolled at schools across the country in January and cashed NIL checks, only to enter the transfer portal and leave the school in the spring before ever playing in a game. At schools like Arkansas, buyout language in NIL deals is now common. Though the NIL era is only a few years old, players reneging on deals may soon lead to legal battles pitting schools against athletes. 

“I have spoken with the leadership team at Arkansas Edge and expressed my support in their pursuit to enforce their rights under any agreement violated by our student-athletes moving forward,” Yurachek said on social media. “We appreciate Edge’s investment in our student-athletes and acknowledge the enforcement of these agreements is vital in our new world of college athletics. 

“We look forward to continued dialogue with all parties resolving these matters.”

Hundreds of players have ignored buyout language in their NIL contracts as all parties await revenue sharing tied to the House v. NCAA settlement — expected to take effect on July 1. The question of whether these NIL contracts are legal has sparked debate in legal circles.

If schools are expected to honor NIL contracts, shouldn’t the same standard apply to players?

In the past, programs were reluctant to pursue legal remedies due to negative headlines, but multiple schools and collectives are now exploring legal action against players who do not honor their contracts, sources in the…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/arkansas-puts-departed-qb-madden-iamaleava-in-its-crosshairs-by-encouraging-nil-collective-to-recoup-buyout/

Author : Brandon Marcello

Publish date : 2025-04-22 21:34:00

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