Tennessee
Mario Cristobal Had No-Nonsense Line on Nico Iamaleava’s Holdout at Tennessee
At least one person in college football strongly disapproves of the way Nico Iamaleava left Tennessee.
Iamaleava is reportedly set to enter the transfer portal this spring after a contentious holdout with the Volunteers over the financial terms of his NIL contract. The former five-star recruit will leave behind a fractured relationship with Tennessee and has started a fiery debate in sports media over whether his actions are justified.
Miami Hurricanes coach Mario Cristobal was the latest to weigh in on the topic, and his answer left no room for interpretation.
“We’re not gonna do that at Miami,” Cristobal said. “And I say that without any hesitation. If anyone’s thinking that—and they could be the best player in the world—if they wanna play holdout, they might as well play get out. We don’t wanna do that. We don’t want Miami to become that.
“Too many guys have sweat, bled, and have laid on the line in that field to ever become that kind of a program.”
Strong words from Canes Head Coach Mario Cristobal in the wake of Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava’s hold out-turned departure.
“If they wanna play hold out, they might as well play get out.” pic.twitter.com/pqJZbIVqmk
— Clay Ferraro (@ClayWPLG) April 12, 2025
Iamaleava, who joined Tennessee in 2022 on a deal that paid him roughly $2 million a year, was reportedly seeking a deal worth $4 million. In his first year as starter in 2024, the Vols quarterback helped lead Tennessee to its first College Football Playoff berth in program history, where they got knocked out in the first round by Ohio State.
In the wake of Iamaleava’s drama-filled exit, Tennessee is apparently already trying to bury the past. Vols coach Josh Heupel made a noble stand by refusing to cave into Iamaleava’s NIL demands, and in doing so he set a key precedent following college football’s first-ever holdout.
Heupel opened up about his decision to part ways with Iamaleava in Saturday’s presser:
“I said it to the guys today, there’s no one that’s bigger than the Power T,” Heupel said. “And that includes me.”
Cristobal appears to say the same about his Canes program.
Alex Golesh was introduced as Auburn’s head coach on Dec. 1. He served as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator and tight ends coach from 2021-22.
Golesh announced the hiring of Jacob Bronowski as Auburn’s special teams coordinator. He served as the Vols’ special teams analyst in 2021 under head coach Josh Heupel. Bronowski was also under Heupel at UCF in 2020 as special teams quality control.
“His track record is outstanding,” Golesh said of Bronowski. “He developed multiple national award contenders, including a Lou Groza Award winner, and has led some of the top special teams units in the country.
“I saw up close when we worked together before that coach Bronowski understands that special teams can be a championship difference-maker, and he’s proven he can develop elite specialists. He brings exactly the attention to detail and relentless work ethic we need in our program.”
Auburn will play at Tennessee on Oct. 3, 2026.
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Tennessee football will host Lane Kiffin, Alex Golesh and possibly Arch Manning at Neyland Stadium in the 2026 season.
UT’s opponents for the next four seasons were previously announced. On Dec. 11, the SEC released the dates of every conference game, providing the full picture of the 2026 schedule.
Game times and television designations will be announced later.
Texas will make its first trip ever to Tennessee on Sept. 26. Manning, the Longhorns quarterback, is expected to return for the 2026 season rather than enter the NFL draft. If so, he’ll face the Vols on the home turf of his uncle, legendary quarterback Peyton Manning.
Golesh, the former UT offensive coordinator, is Auburn’s new coach. He will return to Knoxville for an Oct. 3 game.
Alabama will play at Tennessee on Oct. 17, continuing their Third Saturday in October rivalry game.
Kiffin, the polarizing former UT coach, is now coaching LSU after bolting Ole Miss after the regular season ended. He will return to Knoxville for a Nov. 21 game. Three of the five SEC teams visiting Neyland Stadium will have a first-year coach, including Kentucky’s Will Stein on Nov. 7.
Tennessee will play Alabama, Kentucky and Vanderbilt as annual SEC opponents in the league’s new nine-game conference schedule. Its other six opponents will rotate each season. That means each school will play every SEC opponent home and away every four years.
Tennessee will have one open week on Oct. 31 and thus won’t play on Halloween.
Here is Tennessee’s week-to-week schedule for the 2026 season.
Tennessee football 2026 schedule
- Sept. 5: Furman
- Sept. 12: At Georgia Tech
- Sept. 19: Kennesaw State
- Sept. 26: Texas*
- Oct. 3: Auburn*
- Oct. 10: At Arkansas*
- Oct. 17: Alabama*
- Oct. 24: At South Carolina*
- Oct. 31: Open
- Nov. 7: Kentucky*
- Nov. 14: At Texas A&M*
- Nov. 21: LSU*
- Nov. 28: At Vanderbilt*
*SEC game
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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Tennessee announced the signing of graduate student Dragos Cazacu on Wednesday. He is from Constanta, Romania.
“Dragos is someone we believe can translate all of his professional experience and success seamlessly to high level college tennis,” Tennessee associate head coach Matt Lucas said. “He’s a very mature young man who has finished university in Romania, so we know the type of student athlete we are getting. Winning ITF Pro Circuit titles, all while doing his degree back home shows he will transition nicely to Tennessee in January.”
Cazacu competed on the ATP Tour prior to Tennessee. His highest ranking was No. 763 in singles and No. 495 in doubles.
Tennessee will begin its spring men’s tennis season versus ETSU on Jan. 9, 2026 at Goodfriend Tennis Center. SEC competition will begin Feb. 21, 2026 at Kentucky.
The Vols’ home opener in SEC play is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2026 versus Auburn at Goodfriend Tennis Center.
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