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Wyden, ex-Nebraska Football
Coach Osborne, and Rep. Gordon pass law to clean up sports agents’
recruitment
of college athletes
NCAA, Oregon universities supported legislation
requiring
full disclosure to athletes, athletic departments
September 13, 2004
Washington, DC – Legislation
stopping sports agents from using unfair tactics when attempting
to sign student-athletes to contracts has passed the U.S. Senate
and will now become law. Wyden introduced the Sports Agent Responsibility
and Trust Act (SPARTA) on June 3, 2003; the House and Senate have
now passed identical legislation authored on the House side by
former University of Nebraska football coach Rep. Tom Osborne
(R-Neb.) and Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn). Student-athletes can lose
scholarships or be barred from playing, and entire athletic teams
can be disqualified from competing when sports agents use flashy
gifts, unenforceable promises, or incomplete information to lure
student athletes into signing agency contracts while still in
school. The bill requires sports agents to make specified disclosures
to student athletes and athletic departments about agency agreements.
“The passage of this legislation
is good news for student athletes and their universities,”
said Wyden. “This bill will stop unscrupulous agents from
derailing the academic and sports careers of our student athletes
and prevent them from damaging university athletic programs in
the process.”
Laws governing the practices
of sports agents vary from state to state, with 17 states having
no such laws at all. While Oregon law protects student athletes
in the state, the lack of a national law means no safeguard exists
for Oregon athletes when traveling to other states. The legislation
has received the support of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) and three Oregon universities.
“It is great to hear that
this positive legislation is moving through. It ensures the integrity
of the process as these young student athletes consider their
professional career options,” said Bob De Carolis, Director
of Athletics at Oregon State University.
University of Oregon President
Dave Frohnmayer called the legislation “an important and
welcome step in the right direction. I am pleased that with Senator
Wyden's help, this bill will become law and protect both athletic
programs and student athletes from deceptive practices that might
jeopardize their academic or athletic endeavors.”
“We would like to commend
Sen. Wyden in his efforts to protect student athletes and their
interests from unscrupulous sports agents,” said Tom Berman,
Athletic Director at Portland State University.
The SPARTA legislation forbids
sports agents from:
· Giving false or misleading information to a student athlete;
· Making false or misleading promises or misrepresentations
to a student-athlete;
· Providing anything of value to the student or any individual
associated with the student, including friends and family;
· Failing to disclose in writing that the student may lose
eligibility to compete as a student-athlete if he or she signs
an agency contract; and,
· Predating or postdating contracts.
SPARTA would also require both
agent and athlete to notify the athletic director at the student’s
school within 72 hours of a signed contract.
Violations of the law will be
enforced under the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Act as unfair
or deceptive acts or practices punishable by fines of up to $11,000
per incident to be paid by the sports agent.
The bill now goes to the President
for his signature.
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