Iamaleava says I’m a leaving

Thank goodness I don’t have to remember that name.
Madden Iamaleava has said good-bye to Arkansas after only a couple of months of being with the football program.
His leaving has brought attention to the Arkansas football program. Not, because the incoming freshman was going to play much or at all, but what his leaving may do to college athletic programs across the nation.
Iamaleava signed a Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deal with Arkansas Edge. That deal was to play football for the University of Arkansas.
Reports are stating that Arkansas Edge (which is Arkansas’ NIL collective) has paid the Southern California boy roughly $200K.
Edge has determined that the teenager has not upheld his end of the bargain and the company wants its money back.
We all know that the NIL is out of hand. But this is a bold move from any athletic program. I am sure it is being watched by every college across America.
“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,” said Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said in a statement. “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 in resolving these.”
Good move. To me, it could have been said a little better. “Give us our money back you little thief.”
That could be the grumpy old man in me coming out or maybe it just the truth.
Iamaleava is the younger brother of Nico Iamaleava.

Nico was the quarterback at Tennessee last season. Arkansas beat him, so how good was he really?
Nico had signed with Tennessee for roughly $2.4M a year. Most college students would love to make that much money a year.
However, Daddy Iamaleava thought that his son was a superstar worth double what he was getting paid. So, Nico set out spring training and didn’t work out with the team awaiting his money.
There are not many things that a college with an orange T does that impresses me, but Tennessee did the trick. They let Nico walk away.
He walked back home and ended up at UCLA. The paycheck there is much, much less than what he had at Tennessee.
Then Daddy Iamaleava is reportedly sending Madden to UCLA as well. That means the family is splitting the quarterback pie between the family.
They had better hurry up and get that money flowing into the family because rumors are that Madden has already spent his money.
If Madden owes Arkansas $200K, he can’t make that kind of money bagging groceries or working in the fast food industry.
Oh yes, with the new revenue sharing program for college athletes, Nico would have made an estimated $10M when he finished the year.
Jeff Brasel is the sports and managing editor and general manager of the Harrison Daily Times. E-mail him at jeffb@harrisondaily.com or follow him at X.com/jeffbrasel.