Having faced criticism over the last week due to its newly-announced regulations for agents who represent prospects testing the draft waters, the NCAA has amended those requirements, according to a press release.
According to the NCAA, a prospect exploring his draft options can now be represented by an agent without a bachelor’s degree — the agent simply must be certified and in good standing with the National Basketball Players Association.
The NCAA’s announcement comes just hours after NBA super-agent Rich Paul published an op-ed in The Athletic explaining why he opposed what had become colloquially known as the “Rich Paul Rule.” Paul, who doesn’t have a bachelor’s degree, said in his Athletic column that the new requirements would have had “no impact” on him or Klutch Sports but that the “harmful consequences of [the] decision [would] ricochet onto others who are trying to break in.”
Paul wrote that he’s not opposed to the idea that would-be agents should have three years of experience before representing an NCAA player who is testing the draft market, and he doesn’t think it’s a bad idea to have agents pass an exam. However, he’s against the idea of requiring a four-year degree, since that’s not financially feasible for everyone with aspirations of breaking into athlete representation.
According to the NCAA’s new announcement, players testing the draft waters can be represented by agents who meet all of the following criteria:
- Have a bachelor’s degree and/or are currently certified and in good standing with the NBPA.
- Have NBPA certification for a minimum of three consecutive years.
- Maintain professional liability insurance.
- Complete the NCAA qualification exam.
- Pay the required fees.
I’ve never been the first to comment. I hope I’m properly certified to do so.
If not, your comment will not be allowed to re-enter amateur competition. Off to Europe with it!
@Polymath The matter depends. Doth thou hast a four year college degree? My BA in English Lit/MA in Medieval Welsh Literature qualifies me to be an exemplary future NBA agent. (kidding)
What I don’t get is why do coaches have to have a bachelor degree. I mean what does that have to do with coaching
It’s the same reason most jobs require at minimum a high school diploma. A college education increases one’s knowledge and understanding; promotes complex problem solving, intellectual discipline, etc. I’m not saying it makes a difference for everyone, but all things being equal, a job applicant with a college education or advanced training is statistically the superior hire.
That’s the dumbest statement I’ve ever seen. A college degree has zero to do with a coaches knowledge of the game. What about a guy that goes to college on an athletic scholarship then gets hurt and all of a sudden loses his financial aid? And can’t afford to continue college. Should that person be overlooked based purely on basketball knowledge just because he or she doesn’t have a degree. That’s the old school way of thinking. Try listening to Gary V. He’s got a pretty solid podcast. Maybe I should educate yourself prior to spilling outdated opinions.
Can they take away an athletic scholarship if a player gets injured?
The previous opinion is never outdated and there is more involved than “knowledge of the game”. And you should educate yourself prior to spilling.
Mot for coaching. Im short of a bachelors degree (and will be forever) and have outcoached many coaches who have a degree. A degree to coach is no more necessary than having one to play. With 3.8 seconds left, down by 1, that play you diagram in the timeout won’t be enhanced by that Biology diploma.
*not
You’re “short” a bachelors degree, meaning you’re educated.
Look, it’s not unreasonable to expect professors, administrators and staff working for a college or university have a degree themselves. It’s unfortunate the perceived value of a college degree has diminished lately, thanks to skyrocketing tuition costs and predatory loan institutions. Something needs to be done about the 700% increase in tuition costs over the last 25 years. We really should be using our tax revenues to fund education, not $2Trillion dollar tax breaks for billionaires and multi-millionaires.
Considering your smart enough to have a Degree…one would assume you would’ve also figured out by now that payed education is not a solution…it is discriminatory.
As someone with a graduate degree, and pro education, I have to agree that the nba requiring a 4 year degree as a hard minimum for anything is ridiculous. Wanting a 4 year degree should be on the employer who is making the hire. If the person making the hire (team owners requiring it to hire a coach, for example) believes that a degree is important to them, then sure, make it a requirement. Does it make sense to need a degree, not always. However, if they are going to pay the employee, then they can choose. But, for the NBA to decide the rule is crazy. They aren’t the ones picking the coaches, and certainly aren’t picking the agents. The players employing the agents would also be the ones that should be deciding what is required of the person they are ultimately paying. A degree is not meant to be a hard requirement. It should always be a soft requirement. A degree is to make an individual more competitive, not mark a check box on a hard requirement.
I’ll agree with the rule when they start making a Physical Education degree a requirement to become a surgeon.
The rule was made by the NCAA.
@krillin86 The crazy this is that it’s the NCAA making the rule. The idea that an entity that does NOT pay it’s players can have any role in who they choose when they go pro is crazy. It should be of no concern to the NCAA. The right people to set the requirements should ONLY be what it is now. The NBPA. They represent the NBA players and it’s the players that are choosing from the pool of approved and accredited agents.
I misspoke. I meant NCAA, not NBA. Sorry fellas.
I agree. It should be of no concern the the NCAA
That is some of the funniest amendments I’ve seen…
/or are currently certified and in good standing with the NBPA.
& Pay the required fees…
What a surprise…
Can I do my Bachelor Degree online please NCAA…so as to further increase your profits…
Sometimes a college degree just means the applicant is more likely to possess basic comprehension. An environment with rules to follow such as the one this article is about requires that comprehension, or rules will be broken.
What a surprise, that posters who think college should not be a requirement, do not seem to be understanding the rule. It does not involve the NBA or coaching or even most of what agents do. It would not have affected Rich Paul if it was in place years ago.
And how did Rich Paul get to be a leader of ethics? And why does the NCAA not get to look out for itself? Have people given up on the idea of amateur athletics, and where does that end? The NCAA is getting flak from both sides– not enough of the pro and not enough of the amateur, all at the same time.