Tennessee left QB Nico Iamaleava off its spring roster, and head coach Josh Heupel delivered a clear message after his starter wanted to renegotiate his NIL deal.

Tennessee held its spring game on Saturday afternoon in the midst of a public breakup with starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Right before the festivities began, coach Josh Heupel addressed the decision to move on from Iamaleava for the first time.

Tennessee Volunteers coach Josh Heupel pinpointed the exact moment he knew Nico Iamaleava would be exiting the program via the transfer portal amid the NIL contract dispute.