A Possible Way to Curb Agent-Amateur Interactions

Nick Saban went off at the SEC Media Day about agents. PFT weighed in suggesting that players should be suspended if they accept money. Most people have taken the approach that the problem is without solution and without a doubt there will not be one policy enacted that can cure all that ails amateur athletics, but the groundwork has already been laid towards a policy that could be effective.

The Uniform Athlete Agents Act (UAAA) has been adopted in some form by 38 states and the District. Under the Act, agents can be convicted of a felony if found to be guilty of providing student-athletes money or gifts (as well as for other prohibited actions). While the NCAA has worked well in conjunction with most states to get this Act passed into law, they need to work together to prosecute these cases. Convicted felons are not allowed by the NFL Players Association to represent players at the next level, so a conviction can effectively kill an agent's career. The building blocks are in place, the NCAA should seize this period of increased visibility to reach out to State Attorney Generals to begin punishing the offending agents. Even though agents use runners often times, what young person trying to break into the business would be willing to risk a felony conviction knowing that it would end any chance of representing and making money off players in the future?