Nico Iamaleava appears to have found a new home at UCLA.
According to several reports, the former Tennessee starting quarterback is expected to end his brief stint in the NCAA transfer portal, which was started due to NIL renegotiation disputes with the Vols, by committing to the Bruins and second-year coach DeShaun Foster.
Outside of the decision to return home to Los Angeles (Iamaleava is a Long Beach native, whereas UCLA plays in the hallowed Rose Bowl in Pasadena), the decision for the 6-foot-6 quarterback to commit to UCLA is an intriguing, head-scratching one given it is an exit from the SEC and a team that made the College Football Playoff last season for a team that struggled mightily in the Big Ten last season.
REQUIRED READING: Why did Nico Iamaleava reportedly transfer to UCLA? QB left Tennessee over NIL dispute
It’s also a decision that could cost Iamaleava quite a bit.
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Here’s what to know on how much it would cost Iamaleava for making the move from Knoxville to Los Angeles to play for the Bruins with taxes on his NIL earnings:
What would it cost for Nico Iamaleava to live in California while at UCLA?
Going off an activity used by The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel, we’ve calculated through several income calculators what it would cost Iamaleava to live in Long Beach, California and play for UCLA this season vs what it would have cost him to play in Knoxville for the Vols.
As for his income, i.e., his NIL earnings, we’ve gone with $2.4 million, which is reportedly approximately what Iamaleava was set to make at Tennessee.
Here’s what it would cost Iamaleava, according to several income calculator websites:
- Nerdwallet: $4,072,811.06 (70% higher than the cost of living in Knoxville)
- RentCafe: $4,145,455 (73% higher than the cost of living in Knoxville)
All told, Iamaleava’s decision to transfer and play in Los Angeles for UCLA will cost him significantly more than it would have in Knoxville at Tennessee with his reported $2.4 million NIL earnings (with the caveat Iamaleava’s living expenses are significantly lower than those of the average American as a student on scholarship).
Where did Nico Iamaleava transfer to?
It’s being reported that Iamaleava is transferring to UCLA. Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd was the first to report on Wednesday that Iamaleava was going to the Bruins, though a deal was not struck at the time of his report.
