The NCAA has created requirements for agents to represent college athletes testing the NBA draft waters, as Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com relays. According to the new criteria, agents must:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree.
- Be NBPA certified for at least three seasons.
- Carry professional liability insurance.
- Complete an in-person exam taken at the NCAA office in Indianapolis.
- Officially fill out an application.
- Undergo a background check.
Sources tell Borzello that these agents will also be required to agree that they will cooperate with the NCAA in investigations.
Again, this only applies for those agents representing players testing the draft waters, meaning situations in which a prospect can attend the NBA’s draft combine and team workouts and still return to school if he so chooses. This does not apply to agents representing players who officially declare for the draft.
Some have labeled this as the “Rich Paul Rule.” Rich Paul, who represents LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons and Draymond Green among other players, began working with James a few years after high school and never obtained a degree.
That trip to Indy is not very eco-friendly.
Can’t tell if you’re an over enthusiastic democrat or a republican trolling as a democrat, but what’s the difference nowadays
i love Indianapolis especially downtown area around that circle. i forget what it’s called.
This is typical NCAA BS.
Why, oh why, does anyone need a bachelor’s degree to be an agent? Agents represent their client’s interests in negotiations. There are lawyers involved at every step, as well as financial people and marketing people and all sorts of experts.
I could see making sure agents had certain certifications or demonstrated knowledge in certain areas, but a generic “bachelor’s degree” requirement?
This is just the NCAA trying to reinforce the myth that college degrees are essential to success in life. Degrees are great, but they don’t mean nearly as much as the colleges charging tuition want us to believe.
well said. should have read your’s first. Haha.
Y’all hit the nail on the head. Having something random like an art history degree shouldn’t be a qualification for being an agent.
Says every person who never completed college.
The 4 years spent in college would be much better spent learning on the job for about 90% of professions.
Then just find the job that will let you spend four years learning it while they pay you.
College is not just about the skills you learn.
You can get a bachelor’s in a year online, what does that prove?
Not only did I complete college, but I completed a challenging degree. I also hire people to work at my company. My opinion is that college degrees are overrated.
To have some call this the “Rich Paul Rule” is very disrespectful. He may not have a college degree but he mentored under LBJs previous agent Leon Rose i believe and then worked under and became certified under CAA. Having a degree helps but not necessary. I’m an agent in the entertainment field and will tell you there are brilliant agents who have never set foot on a college campus other than for keggers and to pick uo girls yet they orchestrated long lasting success for their clients.
luckily, getting a BS isn’t that difficult but unnecessary to do their jobs well. most have legal departments that write up or review the contracts anyway. I’ts really more of a relationship business.
Especially considering Paul is one of the most important agents in the league. He is proof a random degree is meaningless
I’m a big critic of the NCAA, but the one-and-done era needs to end. Players (and their respective agents) who don’t value a college education should play overseas or go G-League after college. Let the real student-athletes who commit to at least three years of college get the scholarships and exposure.
The bachelor’s degree and three years experience requirements scream prejudice. A majority of the early-entry candidates have roots in the club program and many have been mentored since they were 10 and wish to continue this relationship indefinitely.
I am fine with going through certification course, a background checks and the licensure interview, but to mandate a bachelor’s and three years experience does nothing but to continue another “good ol’ boy” network.