OK, maybe the drama that played out over the weekend at the University of Tennessee was, finally, college football officially jumping the shark.

On second thought, probably not.

There are a lot more big fish in the water and the bar never seems to get raised high enough not to tempt others to take a flying leap at it.

But, for now, this update: The first true “hold-out” in college football is in the books.

This incident is never to be confused with those standard-issue “opt-outs,” which have become routine for players declining bowl games as a way thanking everyone involved before declaring their college career over so they can better prepare for the NFL draft (by not playing football, but … whatever).

No, this is different.

So take a bow, Nico Iamaleava.

Maybe someday people might even learn to pronounce it. It must rhyme with I’m Leaving Ya.

It was probably inevitable with the combination of the transfer portal and the Name, Image, and Likeness trifecta.

But the Iamaleava case is ground-breaking. The Tennessee quarterback is (or was) holding out on the Vols for — don’t everybody answer at once! — more money.

He just wanted to re-negotiate his NIL deal with Tennessee — and don’t call it a “contract,” that’s a dirty word on any campus.

The California native was the Vols’ starting quarterback en route to a disheartening College Football Playoff trip, a 24-17 loss to Ohio State in the first round.

His NIL deal for that, reportedly, was just north of $2 million.

He was asking Tennessee to up it to $4 million for next year.

Rather, he was demanding Tennessee to sweeten the pot for him to stay. More pay or no play. Reportedly, his father was also active in the negotiating (to the point there was any real discussion).

But Iamaleava, the son, made his point by not showing up for the Vols’ last practice before the spring game, which I guess constitutes a hold-out.

Further, in case they doubted him, he skipped the spring game too.

The Tennessee spring game is not that important. This isn’t about that silly exercise. He was probably going to wear a green, no-contact jersey anyway.

But, with an eye toward next year and the Vols’ lofty expectations, he no doubt thought he had the leverage to get by with his demands and get a hefty raise.

And he probably does.

It just won’t be with Tennessee.

Let’s give Tennessee coach Josh Heupel some credit here.

Whatever was negotiated didn’t take long.

The hold-out apparently came out of the blue. Vols’ teammates were concerned about him when he didn’t show up for that practice.

But shortly after the next day’s spring game, Heupel — after the obligatory wishing Iamavleava well — announced that “We’re moving forward as a program without him.”

So that bridge is burned.

But Iamaleava will get his chance.

Some of us remember when it was thought that the NFL, in its pre-draft evaluations, might cast a wary fisheye at a bowl opt-out abandoning his team for the holidays. Team first, you know. Silly us.

If you can play, they will pay you.

Their opt-out doesn’t even upset the alumni anymore.

And somebody will ante up to Imaleava’s demands.

He no doubt did the same thing that filthy-rich NFL players do when, a year or three after signing a gaudy contract, notice that a handful at their position have since signed for even more.

They demand to renegotiate, with it often falling on deaf ears.

The difference is, while they can hold their franchise hostage with the threat of not playing, they are under contract and don’t really have any other options if they want to get paid.

Imaleava is talented enough that he will have plenty of suitors. And wherever he lands his new fans will welcome him with open arms and twist the story to where he was misunderstood at Tennessee.

The Vols are left without an experienced quarterback … but probably not for long.

They will play the musical chairs game the way it’s played these days. Tennessee will jump into the portal, a wad full of cash in hand, and find something useable for their offense.

Meanwhile, the sharks have taken notice and no doubt are circling, just waiting to top this latest stunt.

Scooter Hobbs covers LSU athletics fo the American Press.