NCAA Drops College Degree Requirement For Basketball Agents

[RealGM Wiretap]

The NCAA has amended its certification process for agents who represent basketball players who are testing the draft waters that will no longer require them to have a bachelor's degree.

"We are committed to providing student-athletes who are deciding whether to stay in school or explore NBA draft options with access to a wide array of resources to make their decision," the NCAA said in a statement on Monday.

"NCAA member schools developed the new agent certification process to accomplish that goal and reflect our higher education mission. However, we have been made aware of several current agents who have appropriately represented former student-athletes in their professional quest and whom the National Basketball Players Association has granted waivers of its bachelor's degree requirement."

The NCAA issued a memo to agents last week that outlined new certification requirements.

In an op-ed piece for The Athletic on Monday, Rich Paul wrote: "Requiring a four-year degree accomplishes only one thing -- systematically excluding those who come from a world where college is unrealistic. Does anyone really believe a four-year degree is what separates an ethical person from a con artist?

"Let's also be clear that once the NCAA requires a four-year degree for athletes 'testing the waters,' it's only a matter of time until this idea is socialized, no longer questioned, and then more broadly applied. We all know how this works. Unfair policy is introduced incrementally so people accept it because it only affects a small group. Then the unfair policy quietly evolves into institutional policy. I'm not sure what the technical term is for that because I didn't finish college but I know it when I see it."

Via Mark Schlabach/ESPN

[Pennebaker]

LeBron Inc. wins again.

[mastermixer]

Unless I’m missing something, the headline and the quote don’t line up.

It sounds like the quote is saying that the current agents without degrees will be “grandfathered in so to speak and do not need a degree.

The headline says the degree requirement is dropped, meaning even future agents don’t need degrees

[BasketballJunky]

LeBron Inc. wins again.

Less about LeBron more about what did rich Paul or any other agent do without a degree that would upset you that much to change your rules.
Who recieved corrupt advice ?
Darius Bazley? 1st round pick 1 million dollars richer than everyone else in the draft.

Cmon NCAA Cmon Everyone.
If they are good at their job don’t hate congratulate.

[alienpick]

"NCAA member schools developed the new agent certification process to accomplish that goal and reflect our higher education mission.”

Exactly. They were trying to push their product (a degree) into becoming a social necessity again. Universities are businesses, they try to pretend that they aren’t, but they are. Job training businesses. They will always try to make it seem that without a degree from them you will amount to nothing in this world. They will always push that narrative. They need to for their own survival. Same reason why they exploit NCAA athletes by not paying them, and instead only offering free product (classes). Imagine if McDonalds only paid their workers in hamburgers?

Basically, they got called out on it, and backed off. I’m not a Rich Paul fan, but nice job calling them out on their constant BS and exposing it to the world.

[xx1c1cle]

This is such a bonehead, poorly-conceived policy. OF COURSE, there was going to be blowback requiring a bachelors degree for NBA agents. Who is stupid enough to think that everyone would applaud this rule. How the heck is a degree in Spanish or Music History going to make an agent adequate for their job?

And immediately amending the policy is just as terrible. It's reactionary and weak. What does it say about a body's decision making if it alters course when the wind *puffs* in the other direction. If a group is unsure, then dont implement the policy and instead test the waters with surveys and market research.

The perception of this is pathetic dross. All I smell and see is that the NCAA is out of touch, fearful of an all-out revolt of student athletes, and lacking the necessary leadership. The NCAA is not steering the boat of college basketball. The ship is driven by talented, highly-valued student athletes...and the NCAA being towed in a dingy behind the ship, reaping the ships velocity, bouncing in the wake, back and forth, back and forth.

NBA players are paid too much.
And NCAA players are paid too little.

[alienpick]

NBA players are paid too much.
And NCAA players are paid too little.

NBA players earning 50% of all basketball related income is fair. Like you said about the NCAA, in the NBA the players drive the future of the league and bring in the audience. Conversely, the team owners take all the financial risk by investing HUGE amounts of money into the teams and the league as a whole. So a 50-50 partnership is completely fair.

Compared to the rest of society, on an ethical level, yes they are overpaid. But from an economic view, ethically, they are paid perfectly fair.

NCAA athletes aren’t paid, and rather borderline exploited. That needs to end. They are basically paid in product (free classes) by the “company” they work for. Unfortunately that reimbursement forces them to work even harder (play ball AND pass their FREE classes). It’s a complete scam. Imagine McDonald paying their employees only in Hamburgers? AND they only get those hamburgers if they play on the store’s rec team and meet a certain sales quota (ie: get a passing grade)?!? It’s highway robbery, and technically illegal.

They need to pay NCAA athletes a semi-professional wage and then offer a free degree (to be completed anytime in life) as a perk. Let’s see how many of them actually play sports and take classes at the same time. I’m betting 95% of them don’t.

Well said on everything else!

[jk31]

So just one week ago they created this New rule, that agents require a Bachelors degree, and nowtheyremovetheruleagainn?

[MaseInYourFace]

Ehh I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand I understand the need to standardize from a professional point of view. Not sure how you do it with an agent and maybe Rich Paul would qualify to have an education requirement waived. However, I don’t think it’s necessarily unfair to ask someone that is going to be a representative on contracts worth millions of dollars to meet certain educational standards. A typical American high school degree is not enough education to understand and negotiate these type of contracts. A lot of sports agents have law degrees or practiced law at one point or another. In most professional fields now a college degree is like the low bar. I do understand though how Paul might feel singled out by this rule.

[IAMZOOTED2]

Wow. Just some kids from Akron, taking down the system, brick by brick

[IAMZOOTED2]

NBA players are paid too much.
And NCAA players are paid too little.

NBA players earning 50% of all basketball related income is fair. Like you said about the NCAA, in the NBA the players drive the future of the league and bring in the audience. Conversely, the team owners take all the financial risk by investing HUGE amounts of money into the teams and the league as a whole. So a 50-50 partnership is completely fair.

How do you feel about the military offering to wipe clean any outstanding college debt for enlisting recruits? Isn't that somewhat unethical and certainly dangerous af

Compared to the rest of society, on an ethical level, yes they are overpaid. But from an economic view, ethically, they are paid perfectly fair.

NCAA athletes aren’t paid, and rather borderline exploited. That needs to end. They are basically paid in product (free classes) by the “company” they work for. Unfortunately that reimbursement forces them to work even harder (play ball AND pass their FREE classes). It’s a complete scam. Imagine McDonald paying their employees only in Hamburgers? AND they only get those hamburgers if they play on the store’s rec team and meet a certain sales quota (ie: get a passing grade)?!? It’s highway robbery, and technically illegal.

They need to pay NCAA athletes a semi-professional wage and then offer a free degree (to be completed anytime in life) as a perk. Let’s see how many of them actually play sports and take classes at the same time. I’m betting 95% of them don’t.

Well said on everything else!

[dougthonus]

LeBron Inc. wins again.

Less about LeBron more about what did rich Paul or any other agent do without a degree that would upset you that much to change your rules.
Who recieved corrupt advice ?
Darius Bazley? 1st round pick 1 million dollars richer than everyone else in the draft.

Cmon NCAA Cmon Everyone.
If they are good at their job don’t hate congratulate.

There is an anchoring of thinking around degrees, because there was a point (maybe 50 years ago) where having a college degree meant you were very smart. Nowadays, college degrees are actually easier to obtain, they don't differentiate anyone. How many morons do you know with a college degree?

There's very little correlation between intelligence and school at this point in time, and maybe there never was. 90% of the stuff you learn in school (college or otherwise) is meaningless fluff. I work as a manager and have probably interviewed something around 500 different people for various IT related jobs over my life, and work ethic + positivity + intelligence is all you need to do virtually anything.

There are so few jobs that really require notable experience. The vast majority of time, you learn 90% of what you need on the job.

Our educational system has just gotten entirely out of wack because people who are lazy and aren't good at interviewing/training started using degrees as short cuts to try and guess aptitude. The internship model is about 1000s better than the current model of higher education.

[dougthonus]

Ehh I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand I understand the need to standardize from a professional point of view. Not sure how you do it with an agent and maybe Rich Paul would qualify to have an education requirement waived. However, I don’t think it’s necessarily unfair to ask someone that is going to be a representative on contracts worth millions of dollars to meet certain educational standards. A typical American high school degree is not enough education to understand and negotiate these type of contracts. A lot of sports agents have law degrees or practiced law at one point or another. In most professional fields now a college degree is like the low bar. I do understand though how Paul might feel singled out by this rule.

I agree that there needs to be some type of standards, but having a college degree isn't a reasonable standard. What percentage of college degrees do you think position you to negotiate million dollar deals?

[23artest23]

College is a societal scam

[LAKESHOW]

The Outcry of the people. Forcing THE MAN to get off a bruthas back, and allow equality and prosperity for all. Their prejudice has been exposed!

[alienpick]

NBA players are paid too much.
And NCAA players are paid too little.

How do you feel about the military offering to wipe clean any outstanding college debt for enlisting recruits? Isn't that somewhat unethical and certainly dangerous af

From my understanding recruits still get paid to go through basic training. Free college has always been a perk of joining the military. I'm not sure how its unethical or dangerous, they still get paid for their duties and also get the added benefit of free college at any point in their life. The military does it because they know that most positions in the military aren't long lasting careers and they want to set up those who served with a potential future in another career. They also pay a really good pension.

why do you think its unethical?

[IAMZOOTED2]

How do you feel about the military offering to wipe clean any outstanding college debt for enlisting recruits? Isn't that somewhat unethical and certainly dangerous af

From my understanding recruits still get paid to go through basic training. Free college has always been a perk of joining the military. I'm not sure how its unethical or dangerous, they still get paid for their duties and also get the added benefit of free college at any point in their life. The military does it because they know that most positions in the military aren't long lasting careers and they want to set up those who served with a potential future in another career. They also pay a really good pension.

why do you think its unethical?

I think it's important to keep things in perspective... Who typically incurs the most debt while trying to get thru college? Let's call them the unfortunate sons and daughters.

To me, it seems unethical to offer to wipe clean tens of thousands of dollars of debt in exchange for putting your life in grave danger. Offering to pay for college is like dangling a carrot in front of a mine field. The notion that the NCAA is profiting off the backs of innocent children seems akin to the idea that the military profits off the blood of those who can't find a way to pay off their debt... Enlisting college grads may go in as officers, but they ain't excluded from dangerous assignments

[LAKESHOW]

Im just finally glad the NCAA admitted they were wrong, and that Paul has been vindcated

[alienpick]

From my understanding recruits still get paid to go through basic training. Free college has always been a perk of joining the military. I'm not sure how its unethical or dangerous, they still get paid for their duties and also get the added benefit of free college at any point in their life. The military does it because they know that most positions in the military aren't long lasting careers and they want to set up those who served with a potential future in another career. They also pay a really good pension.

why do you think its unethical?

I think it's important to keep things in perspective... Who typically incurs the most debt while trying to get thru college? Let's call them the unfortunate sons and daughters.

To me, it seems unethical to offer to wipe clean tens of thousands of dollars of debt in exchange for putting your life in grave danger. Offering to pay for college is like dangling a carrot in front of a mine field. The notion that the NCAA is profiting off the backs of innocent children seems akin to the idea that the military profits off the blood of those who can't find a way to pay off their debt... Enlisting college grads may go in as officers, but they ain't excluded from dangerous assignments

yeah I definitely see your point.

[LAKESHOW]

Institutionalized racism must be confronted, combated and eradicated!