Nico Iamaleava didn’t get the payday from Tennessee that he was looking for. Meanwhile, the reporter who broke the story surrounding his NIL saga has cashed in.
Taking to X on Tuesday, On3 founder and CEO Shannon Terry announced that his website has signed college sports business and transfer portal reporter Pete Nakos to a new long-term contract. Terry also emphasized that Nakos is getting a raise, making good on a pledge he made publicly late last week.
“Congrats to @PeteNakos_ on a well-deserved raise and new long-term deal with @On3sports,” Terry wrote. “One of the brightest young stars in college sports media — and an even better human. Proud of you, Pete.”
In a reply, Nakos wrote: “Grateful for everything Shannon and On3 have done for my career. Too many people to thank — time to keep building.”
The timing of Nakos’ new deal is hardly coincidental as it comes just days after he broke the news of Iamaleava’s attempt to negotiate a new NIL deal with Tennessee. Nico’s father, Nic Iamaleava, publicly disputed the report, calling Nakos a “bi7ch” [sic], claiming that it was the first he had heard of such negotiations.
A mere day later, however, Nakos’ report wasn’t only proven correct, but Tennessee opted to part ways with the former 5-star quarterback over the contract talks. Considering the magnitude of the player and program involved and what it means for the larger landscape of college athletics, this would have been a massive story regardless. But Nakos’ reporting on it was only amplified by the personal attack from Nic Iamaleava, which wasn’t just tasteless, but also verifiably false.
Ultimately, being called a “bi7ch” proved to be a small price to pay for Nakos, whose report was ultimately proven correct. While it was wise for On3 to capitalize on the publicity with the announcement of his new contract, it also helps that the online outlet is locking up one of the industry’s most promising young reporters in the process.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.