Nico Iamaleava: UCLA transfer driven by family, not NIL deal - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — In his first public comments since his tumultuous transfer from Tennessee to UCLA in April, Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava said Thursday the decision to leave the Volunteers was «one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make.»

«My driving factor to come back home was my family, and I hope every Tennessee fan understands that,» Iamaleava said at Big Ten media days. «It was just a lot of drama, but man, I'm excited to be at UCLA.»

Iamaleava made multiple references to «false reports» about him while at Tennessee that centered on him and his representation wanting higher NIL compensation. The Long Beach, California, native remained steadfast that the main motivation for his move was not money but proximity to family. He said the reports made him feel «not comfortable in the position I was in.»

«I think just the outside world, in general, thinks that it was something that it wasn't,» Iamaleava told ESPN. «Going back home was always in the back of my head. Just being back closer to my family; [it] took a toll on getting my family to Tennessee. It was just a lot of traveling.»

ESPN reported in April that Iamaleava's representation had been pushing for his NIL contract — which had previously paid him $2.4 million per year and was set to pay him more than $8 million over his time at Tennessee — to increase to $4 million for 2025. Sources told ESPN that Iamaleava's camp also reached out to Miami, Ole Miss and Oregon, among others, about transferring after last season ended.

«I don't speak on money matters,» Iamaleava said Thursday. «I'm just here for ball and school.»

Amid those NIL contract negotiations, Iamaleava did not show up to a Tennessee spring practice. Shortly after, coach Josh Heupel said the program