Hours after news broke that the NCAA is investigating the recruitment of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the Spyre Sports Group released a statement of its own.
Spyre runs Tennessee's collective, and that collective entered into an NIL deal reportedly worth up to $8 million with the 5-star prospect in the 2023 class and, according to the New York Times, ferried him from California to Knoxville on a private jet before he was officially a Volunteer -- a violation of the NCAA's NIL policy.
Here's the needle Spyre attempts to thread in its statement:
-- Yes, Spyre Sports Group manages the Volunteer Club, "your home for all things NIL-related for Tennessee!" according to its website.
-- Yes, Iamaleava happened to sign with Tennessee.
-- No, Spyre Sports did not pay Iamaleava to sign with Tennessee.
Though Spyre manages the Volunteer Club, that is not all Spyre does.
"Spyre Sports Group is a sports marketing and media agency located in Knoxville, Tennessee, led by sports marketing veterans James Clawson, Hunter Baddour and Sheridan Gannon," its website reads.
"Spyre has over 30 years of marketing experience along with having represented hundreds of professional athletes in various professional sports. Our team is ready to create NIL opportunities for student-athletes, digital marketing strategies for brands, and memorable experiences for businesses."
According to the statement, Spyre agreed to market Iamaleava's NIL rights no matter who he signed with. If that happened to be Tennessee, great. If not, that was a risk Spyre took.
In Spyre's version of events, Nico Iamaleava wasn't the next great Volunteer QB, he was the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2023 and a future NFL signal caller.
Here is the statement, released by attorney Tom Mars:
Will the NCAA buy that explanation? Stay tuned to find out.