Sports

UNLV Wide Receiver Calls Out Las Vegas’ Largest Sportsbook After Promising $100K To Defunct QB

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Ricky White UNLV Circa NIL $100,000
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UNLV wide receiver Ricky White III had a monster game in a statement win on Saturday. He immediately called out Las Vegas’ largest sportsbook after his dominant performance.

The Rebels’ top offensive weapon wants Circa to redirect the $100,000 it promised to now-defunct quarterback Matthew Sluka.

White, a fifth-year senior who transferred from Michigan State, caught 10 passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns during a 59-14 route of Fresno State. That impressive stat line doesn’t even include his third touchdown of the game, which came on a blocked punt during the first half.

UNLV moved to 4-0 with the win. It is currently in the driver’s seat to make the College Football Playoff as the highest-ranked Group of Five (six?) program after a bizarre saga throughout the week.

Sluka began the season as the starter after he transferred from Holy Cross and won his first three games. However, he suddenly announced his decision to leave the team on Tuesday night because of a financial dispute involving Name, Image and Likeness money.

The Rebels insist that they did not fail to make good on their promise to Sluka. Sluka claims he received only $3,000 after being guaranteed no less than $100,000.

More likely than not, the truth falls somewhere in the middle. And regardless of what really went down, Sluka is no longer on the roster.

Hajj-Malik Williams took over as the starter on Saturday. He popped off for more than 300 total yards of offense and four total touchdowns. UNLV actually looked better with Williams than it did in Weeks 1-3.

As part of the fallout with the latter, Circa offered to pay Sluka the $100,000 he demanded to stay. The university declined because it “won’t be doing business with the Sluka family again.”

Ricky White III has a different idea on how Circa can spend its money and made his plea to the city’s largest sportsbook after the Rebels’ first game without its former quarterback!

People in the room laughed at what they thought was a tongue-in-cheek comment. Except White was not going for laughs.

This not a joke I’m serious […]

PLEASE

— @Only1RW on X

It will be interesting to see if Circa decides to get more involved with UNLV’s NIL efforts after getting called out. There could be some potential hurdles there because college football players are technically “amateur” athletes, but Las Vegas is the gambling capital of the world and it would make perfect sense to have a sportsbook pony up!