Athletics Veritas is a weekly series aimed at helping higher education executives, faculty, and other stakeholders stay tuned in on trending national issues impacting college athletics, especially NCAA Division I. Athletics Veritas is created by senior DI athletic administrators around the nation.
Term-In-Ology: Use of Agents
As the NCAA and Congress explore deregulating the name-image-likeness (NIL) landscape, the deregulation of student-athletes’ use of agents and other representatives (e.g., brand managers) will need to happen in tandem. Let’s look at NCAA Division I’s current rule on the use of agents.
Division I rules hold that an individual shall be ineligible for participation in an intercollegiate sport if he or she ever has agreed (orally or in writing) to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing his or her athletics ability or reputation in that sport. Further, an agency contract not specifically limited in writing to a sport or particular sports shall be deemed applicable to all sports, and the individual shall be ineligible to participate in any sport.
The word “individual” is used purposefully here (as opposed to using “student-athlete”) to capture both current student-athletes as well as prospects who have not necessarily enrolled in a Division I institution but may have had engagement with an agent.
Athletics Veritas is presented for information purposes only and should not be considered advice or counsel on NCAA compliance matters. For guidance on NCAA rules and processes, always consult your university’s athletics compliance office, conference office, and/or the NCAA.
