By Cadie Carroll
Athletic officials are coming together to put an end to underhanded tactics used by sports agents, who bend the rules when it comes to dealing with college athletes.
Just last month a nine-page memo was drafted and sent to a committee to consider updating the Uniform Athletes Agent Act — the model state law that provides rules and regulations regarding the conduct of sports agents.
Co-authored by agent Tony Agnone and University of North Carolina Athletic Director Paul Pogge, the memo of proposed changes aims to generate more defined definitions and policies for agents, coaches, athletes, and their families.
“As we’ve seen over the years, there are a decent number of people out there that don’t play by the rules,” said Pogge, co-author of the memo. “The more entities and individuals we can have working together to protect the student-athletes, the institutions and the professional representatives who do play by the rules, I think that benefits all of us.”
New UAAA Law Could Also Apply to Runners, Financial Advisers and Others
More specifically, the changes would broaden the UAAA law to cover not only agents but runners, financial advisers and anyone else working to sign athletes and who may jeopardize a student-athlete’s eligibility with impermissible benefits.
The memo is backed by more than 70 supporters including current and former athletic directors, NFL Players Association certified agents and even attorneys.
The group also hopes to see an increase in fines for violators of the Act and more stringent requirements for someone looking to register as an agent.
One supporter of modifying the UAAA is Jack Bechta, an NFLPA certified agent and President and CEO of JB Sports. He says changes are necessary in order to strengthen the Act and create an even playing field.
“The changes need to be made because the current regulations are simply out of touch with reality and the real world mechanics of agent activity,” Bechta told Sports Litigation Alert. “In addition, the changes will acknowledge to the agent community that the uniformity of the new acts proposed are sensitive to the work of honest agents.”
He notes that an overhaul is urgent and says there will be consequences if the need for a stronger UAAA isn’t met.
“If there are no progressive changes made that strengthen the landscape for accountability and uniformity of how agents interact with college athletics and their student athletes, unscrupulous agents will continue to operate unchecked, and the communication between agents and collegiate athletic representatives will deteriorate further,” Bechta said. “The proposed changes, if passed, will help to create a formal and professional process for agent contact with student athletes and their families.”
The drafting committee met to revise the UAAA last month and will continue to make changes as it sees fit. Committee chairman Dale G. Higer says the group will meet again in the spring and that any changes to the act will most likely be ready for implementation by 2015.
