New NCAA policy regarding agents & "testing the waters"

[The Sultan]

And nefarious people also want to break down the NCAA for financial personal gains, too.  Of course that never seems to be looked at, it is always the evil NCAA.  Preventing the 0.5% from getting their just dues and entitlements.

No doubt.  But what does that have to do with their new rule on agent certification?  There isn't something about a bachelor's degree that makes someone less nefarious. 

[wadesworld]

If you can accept that a governing body sets the rules for truck driving license, why can't you accept the fact that another governing body (the NCAA) can set the rules for agent criteria?

Happy to play this game all day if you wish. They have the option to set their rules.  These are the rules they have set.

Yup, they have the option to set their rules, and their rules are stupid and going to hurt them.  Like many of the rules they've set.

[The Lens]

And nefarious people also want to break down the NCAA for financial personal gains, too.  Of course that often doesn't seem to be looked at, it is usually the evil NCAA.  Preventing the 0.5% from getting their just dues and entitlements.

When I look at those out for financial gain surrounding the NCAA, agents are way down on the list.  They're often portrayed as a boogie man but coaches (HS, travel & college), boosters, shoe companies and travel teams are much more of an issue.  In the end, follow the money...it's the shoes.

I also would love to hear who is pushing this rule and I wouldn't be surprised if it was coming from the agent establishment to push back on Rich Paul.  Only the NCAA would be susceptible to get in the middle of agent beefs.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

If you can accept that a governing body sets the rules for truck driving license, why can't you accept the fact that another governing body (the NCAA) can set the rules for agent criteria?

Happy to play this game all day if you wish. They have the option to set their rules.  These are the rules they have set.

Hmmm, I'll remember this "as long as they have the right to do it, they can do it" argument the next time that you say colleges and universities shouldn't be allowed to set higher standards about student conduct.

[The Sultan]

Fran Fraschilla
@franfraschilla
What a mess! The FBI/DOJ college hoops bribery scandal was a sham.(The coaches & schools were VICTIMS? Really?) That led to the Rice Commission whose recommendations have been off the mark, so far. Oh, and the cheating hasn't been deterred one iota. Sad.

[WhiteTrash]

Why would a player hire an agent who is not an attorney? (I'm not saying they must). You will need an attorney to review your contracts so why not pay one fee instead of two? My attorney was an NFL agent at one point and being a certified NFL agent requires a law license. Last I checked the NFL and its players are doing okay.

Anyways, I'm tired of LeBron and the like being constant victims. I have not read through every post/article but I'm sure the race card has been played (or will be) also. The uber liberal universities of the county have set up the system, which is their right, so now everyone need to play by the rules. 

[wadesworld]

Why would a player hire an agent who is not an attorney? (I'm not saying they must). You will need an attorney to review your contracts so why not pay one fee instead of two? My attorney was an NFL agent at one point and being a certified NFL agent requires a law license. Last I checked the NFL and its players are doing okay.

Anyways, I'm tired of LeBron and the like being constant victims. I have not read through every post/article but I'm sure the race card has been played (or will be) also. The uber liberal universities of the county have set up the system, which is their right, so now everyone need to play by the rules.

And the laws they've been setting up are either 1) not enforced (see: FBI wiretaps with no punishments to the basketball programs involved) or 2) will result in the top players looking to play anywhere but in the NCAA.  If Rich Paul wants to work with a star high school basketball player he'll just tell the kid to go to the G League, overseas, or train and not play for a year before heading to the NBA.

Nobody has played the race card.  LeBron is not a victim in this case.  Not sure what that has to do with the discussion.  But last I checked Rich Paul has done okay for himself and his clients as well, yet the NCAA doesn't want to let him be part of this process.  It's dumb.

[Cheeks]

Write a letter to Marquette's president and Athletic Director.  Word has it that we are a member of this association and vote in these matters.  Let them know how you feel.  You might just get an interesting response that says the school supports what the NCAA is doing here.   

[wadesworld]

Write a letter to Marquette's president and Athletic Director.  Word has it that we are a member of this association and vote in these matters.  Let them know how you feel.  You might just get an interesting response that says the school supports what the NCAA is doing here.   

Good to know.  Hadn't heard that before.

I'm sure Lovell sent out an email to the president of every NCAA member institution saying "I like letting agents talk to top players.  I do think there needs to be an educational background requirement to protect these kids from guys like Rich Paul, who helps kids become millionaires."  And then maybe Gene Block responded with, "Yeah I agree Mike, in fact I think we should have Condoleezza Rice head up a group of people telling us how we should run our athletics."

All those degree requirements are really helping protect the student athletes at schools like USC, Wake Forrest, etc.  You know, all those adults with bachelor degrees, and many times advanced degrees, taking hundreds of thousands of dollars to get undeserving kids into their athletics programs and taking away opportunities from student athletes who are actually...well, athletes.

Save the kids!

[Pakuni]

Gary Parrish @GaryParrishCBS
The implication of the NCAA's agent-certification process is that a person with a bachelor's degree is less likely to operate in a way that hurts players. What this ignores is that EVERY COACH arrested for taking cash to steer players to sketchy people had a bachelor's degree.

[wadesworld]

Gary Parrish @GaryParrishCBS
The implication of the NCAA's agent-certification process is that a person with a bachelor's degree is less likely to operate in a way that hurts players. What this ignores is that EVERY COACH arrested for taking cash to steer players to sketchy people had a bachelor's degree.

This.  But hey, can't question it because the schools have agreed to this so nothing to see here, it's perfectly run!

[The Lens]

It's incredible to me that the NCAA is focusing on the agent certification yet they see no problems with

Travel teams completely funded by shoe companies
High Schools propped up by shoe companies
Coaches salaries supported by shoe companies

Diamond Stone played for a UA sponsored travel team, his HS was UA at the time (it's Nike now, Giannis) then he chose between two UA schools.  But yeah it's Rich Paul's lack of college education. 

[The Sultan]

Why would a player hire an agent who is not an attorney? (I'm not saying they must). You will need an attorney to review your contracts so why not pay one fee instead of two? My attorney was an NFL agent at one point and being a certified NFL agent requires a law license. Last I checked the NFL and its players are doing okay.

Because the idea that an agent is simply someone to review a contract is a dated one. 

[Pakuni]

Why would a player hire an agent who is not an attorney? (I'm not saying they must). You will need an attorney to review your contracts so why not pay one fee instead of two? My attorney was an NFL agent at one point and being a certified NFL agent requires a law license. Last I checked the NFL and its players are doing okay.

Because when you hire an agent, you're actually hiring that agent's firm, which no doubt includes attorneys.
And no, being a certified NFL agent does not require a law license.

https://www.nflpa.com/agents/how-to-become-an-agent

[Dr. Blackheart]

This all sounds squirmy (and hypocritical) to me.

Let's just cut to the chase:  Just Win, Baby!

[MUBurrow]

This is a "course of dealing" problem.  It is plain as day that the NCAA doesn't really give a damn about the wellbeing of the student-athletes, at least in comparison to protecting its labor source at its current price point. Through that lens, this is clearly laying the gauntlet to the NBA and other outside orgs about who is in charge and who has to play by what rules.

For proof, just play out the case of the first kid that hires an agent not certified under the new rules. The NCAA won't provide any real hands-on guidance in the agent vetting process, the kid will hire some guy from his AAU days or something, and then when the kid wants to come back, he'll be ruled ineligible and have to play overseas. Again, the NCAA is perfectly happy layering more rules onto their Rube Goldberg design, so long as they don't actually have to spend time or money helping the people allegedly helped by those rules navigate them.

In a vacuum, if the NCAA had any recent history of acting in student-athletes legitimate best interests, this would be a good rule. It would theoretically prevent early entrants from being preyed on by unqualified "agents" whispering in their ear but not providing any financial security or guarantees. But the NCAA won't provide any support to navigate their new rule, and instead it will just be another technicality that gets kids ruled ineligible, further cementing the the end-all power of eligibility determination in the hands of the NCAA.

[Jockey]

Why would a player hire an agent who is not an attorney? (I'm not saying they must). You will need an attorney to review your contracts so why not pay one fee instead of two? My attorney was an NFL agent at one point and being a certified NFL agent requires a law license. Last I checked the NFL and its players are doing okay.

Anyways, I'm tired of LeBron and the like being constant victims. I have not read through every post/article but I'm sure the race card has been played (or will be) also. The uber liberal universities of the county have set up the system, which is their right, so now everyone need to play by the rules.

Was wondering who would bring race into this discussion first.

Why are you sure the race card has been played? Certain people always worry that the race card will affect their own privilege.

[The Lens]

I don't think it's a race thing as much as it is a old money / new money thing.  I'm guessing some more "established" agents guided the NCAA into this criteria.  The last thing the old money agents want is players enabling their friends to create agency like Klutch. 

[MU82]

This is a "course of dealing" problem.  It is plain as day that the NCAA doesn't really give a damn about the wellbeing of the student-athletes, at least in comparison to protecting its labor source at its current price point. Through that lens, this is clearly laying the gauntlet to the NBA and other outside orgs about who is in charge and who has to play by what rules.

For proof, just play out the case of the first kid that hires an agent not certified under the new rules. The NCAA won't provide any real hands-on guidance in the agent vetting process, the kid will hire some guy from his AAU days or something, and then when the kid wants to come back, he'll be ruled ineligible and have to play overseas. Again, the NCAA is perfectly happy layering more rules onto their Rube Goldberg design, so long as they don't actually have to spend time or money helping the people allegedly helped by those rules navigate them.

In a vacuum, if the NCAA had any recent history of acting in student-athletes legitimate best interests, this would be a good rule. It would theoretically prevent early entrants from being preyed on by unqualified "agents" whispering in their ear but not providing any financial security or guarantees. But the NCAA won't provide any support to navigate their new rule, and instead it will just be another technicality that gets kids ruled ineligible, further cementing the the end-all power of eligibility determination in the hands of the NCAA.

Absolutely the best take so far on this.

Thanks for your well-reasoned, articulate contribution.

[Jockey]

I don't think it's a race thing as much as it is a old money / new money thing.  I'm guessing some more "established" agents guided the NCAA into this criteria.  The last thing the old money agents want is players enabling their friends to create agency like Klutch.

I agree totally.

Was just calling someone out for saying blacks would take advantage of the new rule.

[MuMark]

Seems perfectly reasonable to me

https://twitter.com/insidethencaa/status/1159253597676351493?s=21

[Cheeks]

When I look at those out for financial gain surrounding the NCAA, agents are way down on the list.  They're often portrayed as a boogie man but coaches (HS, travel & college), boosters, shoe companies and travel teams are much more of an issue.  In the end, follow the money...it's the shoes.

I also would love to hear who is pushing this rule and I wouldn't be surprised if it was coming from the agent establishment to push back on Rich Paul.  Only the NCAA would be susceptible to get in the middle of agent beefs.

Maybe it is because I have to deal with them on a weekly basis, but agents are an interesting crew....I will leave it at that.

[Cheeks]

Because when you hire an agent, you're actually hiring that agent's firm, which no doubt includes attorneys.
And no, being a certified NFL agent does not require a law license.

https://www.nflpa.com/agents/how-to-become-an-agent

Not all agents are tied to a firm, you might be surprised how many are one man shows or have very limited staff. 

[Cheeks]

This all sounds squirmy (and hypocritical) to me.

Let's just cut to the chase:  Just Win, Baby!

Just cheat baby, we'll clean it up later if we are caught.   Ah yes

[brewcity77]

The degree requirement is BS. So if a NBA player that spent 15 years in the league, was involved in the NBAPA, but left school early wants to be an agent, they are barred from representing these players because of a few credits? This is all about control over something the NCAA has no say in.