Miami coach says any player who holds out for a better NIL deal can 'get out' after Tennessee loses star QB over dispute

Miami Hurricanes football coach Mario Cristobal said any player who is looking to hold off playing until they get a better name, image, and likeness deal may as well get off the team.

Cristobal's remarks came after Tennessee parted ways with quarterback Nico Iamaleava because the star player was looking to restructure, and reportedly almost double, his NIL deal.

Iamaleava was one of the first NIL-era football players to get a lucrative contract and subsequently represented the first public holdout between a school and a star quarterback over NIL compensation, CBS reported.

In the wake of Iamaleava's departure from Tennessee, Cristobal attempted to get out ahead of any possible contract disputes with his own players, and he said they can either play under their agreed-upon terms or leave the team.

"We’re not going to do that at Miami, and I say that without any hesitation," Cristobal said, per the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "If anyone's thinking that — and they could be the best player in the world — if they want to play holdout, they might as well play get out."

Cristobal's comments came after a Hurricanes spring game, with the coach positioning Miami as a school that does not believe in having such disputes.

"We don't want to do that, and we don't want Miami to become that," he continued. "Too many guys have sweat and bled and laid it on the line on that field to ever become that kind of program."

NCAA schools now seemingly find themselves in a similar battle to when NIL deals were first instituted — positioning themselves on the moral high ground when it comes to contract disputes and attempting to convince fans that any player who, rightly or wrongly, wants a restructured deal or more money is a detriment to the program's dignity.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel labeled the ordeal as the "state of college football" and claimed that "at the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program. That includes me, too."

Heupel added, "It's going to be around a long time after I'm done and after they're gone, and that's what special about being here is that there is a legacy and a tradition that is so rich and a logo that's recognized not just across the nation but around the world, too."

ESPN's Chris Low reported last week that Iamaleava was seeking around $4 million, but Tennessee officials "weren't going to blink."

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Iamaleava brought Tennessee a 10-3 record in 2024 and a spot in the College Football Playoff. He started in the Orange Bowl and averaged 221.2 passing yards per game, with 19 touchdowns, five interceptions, and 2,930 passing yards.

Tennessee's athletic programs were ranked 18th in the nation in 2024 with a reported $154,566,935 income, according to data from USA Today.

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