“It’s Not Greed” Former Vol Player Offers Perspective on NIL Deals and College Athletics

(Nashville, TENN) — Collegiate athletes and fans of the game are closely watching how the world of NIL is becoming a growing conversation after a recent controversy sparked at the University of Tennessee.

Former Tennessee quarterback, Nico Iamaleava is making national headlines as he makes a public transfer from UT to UCLA after a very public NIL went wrong.

SEC fans quickly caught on and suspected tension between the famous player and the school’s athletic department.

Although Iamaleava had performed well on the field, issues began to emerge off the field. In April 2025, reports indicated he wanted to renegotiate his NIL agreement, hoping to raise his pay from $2.2 million to around $4 million—comparable to deals given to other elite quarterbacks. Talks fell through, and he was noticeably missing from team practices on April 11. The next day, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel stated that the team would proceed without him.

“At the end of the day, no one is ever bigger than the program,” Heupel stated.

From the moment he put on the orange helmet, Iamaleava led Tennessee to a commanding 35–0 victory over Iowa. He accounted for four touchdowns—one passing and three rushing—and was named the game’s MVP. In the 2024 season, Iamaleava’s ongoing leadership and performance were instrumental in Tennessee’s 10–3 season which sent them to his first-ever College Football Playoff appearance.

In many industries, top performers are eligible for substantial pay increases, and Iamaleava knew he wasn’t an exception.

Derrick Furlow Jr., a former Vol Football player, understands this is routine from a business perspective.

NIL, which stands for Name, Image, and Likeness, refers to the rights of college athletes to profit from their personal brand. This concept has been a growing conversation ever since NIL deals between collegiate athletes became available in 2021. Since then, athletes are trying to maximize their values and earnings based on market conditions, performance, and other factors. These deals are a common business practice in all industries.

Furlow, who has founded several businesses including programs focused on NIL and helping collegiate athletes transition after their college careers, offered a business-minded perspective on recent controversies in college athletics.

“Outside looking in, it always looks like greed,” Furlow said when discussing how fans perceive athletes’ financial negotiations. “But when you take a step back and remove the emotion and look at it from purely from a business perspective, you set the market.”

Furlow compared college athletes’ situation to professionals in any field seeking compensation that matches their market value: “If you were in an employee role at any job and you have produced for two years, wouldn’t you want to get a raise for the same job that you was already doing based off what the market is giving?” Furlow adds.

Addressing the public nature of some NIL negotiations, Furlow explained that perception often drives fan reactions, and in this case, Iamaleava received support as well as backlash. “It probably looks worse because it’s made public. If that’s done behind closed doors, whether it works out or it doesn’t work out, if it’s never heard about in public, there’s no hard feelings,” Furlow noted.

The VFL also emphasized that young athletes often rely on guidance from adults during negotiations, and that this was not a decision solely made by Iamaleava.

As the founder of several businesses focused on NIL and athlete transitions, Furlow continues to advocate for collegiate athletes navigating their careers both during and after their time on campus.

Iamaleava is now heading to his home state of California to play for UCLA in the 2025-2026 season which is set to kickoff this fall.

Currently, Furlow has founded several businesses including Onrise which provides resources in mental health for athletes including youth, college, and professional. He also is combining his passion for UT athletics and experience in life after college with Vol Legacy, a non-profit geared towards those needing transitional resources once the final whistle blows.