MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Dante Moore wanted to clear things up regarding Troy Aikman’s remarks about an NIL donation the pro football Hall of Famer made a player at UCLA.

During an interview on the Sports Media podcast with Richard Deitsch earlier this month, Aikman said he is “done with NIL” after not receiving any gratitude for a “sizable check” he donated to UCLA for a player who later transferred.

“I gave money to a kid, I won’t mention who,” Aikman told Deitsch. “I’ve done it one time at UCLA, never met the young man. He was there a year, he left after the year. I wrote a sizable check, and he went to another school. I didn’t even get so much as a thank you note. So, it’s one of those deals, to where I’m done with NIL. I want to see UCLA be successful, but I’m done with it.”

Though Aikman did not name Moore, many assumed it was the former five-star recruit, who transferred from UCLA to Oregon after his freshman year.

The Los Angeles Times reported UCLA’s collective, Men of Westwood, did not disclose donor information to players receiving NIL deals and that Aikman was thanked by then-coach Chip Kelly and athletic director Martin Jarmond.

Moore said he has never spoken to Aikman, but expressed gratitude to the former UCLA and Dallas Cowboys legend if he was who Aikman was referring to.

“If he sent it to me, I didn’t know it was him,” Moore said. “I didn’t see it. When it comes to people thinking it’s me, of course, everybody’s going to think it’s me. It’s quarterback-to-quarterback. I don’t want that false narrative being put out there that I didn’t say thank you. I didn’t hear nothing from him. I didn’t see nothing from him. So, if he sent it, thank you, but I don’t know what he’s talking about.”

No. 4 Texas Tech (12-1) vs. No. 5 Oregon (12-1)

  • When: Thursday, January 1
  • Time: 9 a.m. PT
  • Where: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
  • TV: ESPN and ABC
  • Stream: You can watch this game on DIRECTV (free trial) or with Sling (a Sling day pass to watch this game and more is just $4.99). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.