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Tennessee Fans Drops Hilarious Line to Describe Nico Iamaleava Hard Feelings

After stalled NIL contract negotiations with Tennessee, Iamaleava is expected to enter the transfer portal.

Tim Capurso

Iamaleava (8) warming up before a game.
Iamaleava (8) warming up before a game. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Tennessee fans still haven't forgotten.

Just hours after news broke that Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava was expected to enter the transfer portal after NIL contract talks between his side and the university stalled, a Tennessee fan hilariously referenced Lane Kiffin's departure while expressing his dissatisfaction with the recent turn of events.

Speaking to WBIR sports reporter Emilie Rae Cochrane on Saturday ahead of the Volunteers spring game, one fan dropped an amusing line to describe what Iamaleava had done to the program's fanbase by heading for the portal.

"I want somebody that's going to put the blood, sweat and tears on the field and represent us as fans," the fan said. "Somebody that we're proud to come and see...Somebody who's putting money before loyalty. And that's exactly what he's doing. He Lane Kiffin'd us."

"He left in the middle of the night for a sweeter deal. But that's ok. We've got better talent coming and as long as we can keep that talent coming in, the Tennessee program is going to be at the top again."

The Volunteers fan is referencing the night of Kiffin's much-maligned exit from Knoxville on January 12, 2010, which included a hasty press conference in which the coach was meant to answer questions on his departure from Tennessee for USC, then didn't. The result was an angry fan base, which proceeded to protest on campus, even lighting a mattress on fire in their anger.

All the while, Kiffin remained tucked away in his office, where security came in the middle of the night to usher him away from the chaos. And after just one season and a Chick-Fil-A Bowl loss, Kiffin was gone for USC.

While Iamaleava has technically been with Tennessee for two seasons, '24 was his first as the team's starter. After his commitment in March '22, Iamaleava and the Volunteers agreed to a three-year, $8 million contract, which paid him roughly $2.2 million per year. The former five-star recruit is reportedly seeking a contract that will pay him $4 million per year.

And after his decision to enter the transfer portal, Iamaleava is making Tennessee fans feel emotions they haven't felt in 15 years.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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