Rules for being an agent for a college football player

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There is no single license to represent a college football player. An agent faces NCAA bylaws, College Sports Commission review, a federal law enforced by the FTC, state agent-registration laws that differ by state, the rules of each school and, for pro contracts, NFL Players Association certification. A federal bill that would set national rules has passed the Senate but not the House. Items marked [Unsettled] could change. This is a summary, not legal advice; current as of Oct. 30, 2026.

NCAA · College Sports Commission · Federal law (SPARTA) and the FTC · Protect College Sports Act · State laws · NFLPA · Schools · Checklist

NCAA bylaws

• Pro representation is still barred. Bylaw 12.3.2: after a player first enrolls full-time in college, he may not agree, orally or in writing, to be represented by a professional sports agent to market his athletic ability for a pro career (NCAA LSDBi, Bylaw 12.3.2; revised June 6, 2025, and Apr. 15, 2026).
• NIL representation is allowed. Athletes may use professional service providers, including agents, for NIL, as one school's compliance office summarizes Bylaw 22 (Virginia Tech Athletics, Agents and advisors).
• Agents can't double as school consultants. The College Sports Commission warned that “consulting” agreements between a school and a player's agent may violate Bylaw 13.2.1 (CSC guidance memo, June 23, 2026).

College Sports Commission (NIL Go)

• Every Division I third-party NIL deal worth $600 or more must be reported in NIL Go within five business days; a deal that isn't cleared can cost the player eligibility (CSC FAQ).
• The CSC said in June 2026 that it reviews agent agreements with schools and is investigating collectives that pay players' agent fees (CSC, June 23, 2026).
• The CSC does not license agents. NIL Go had 6,730 registered representative users as of Aug. 31, 2026 (CSC NIL Go Data Report, Sept. 9, 2026).

Federal law: SPARTA and the FTC

• The Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act (2004) bars agents from giving false or misleading information or making false promises to recruit a student-athlete and from giving anything of value before a contract; it requires a signed disclosure warning that the player may lose eligibility and notice to the school within 72 hours. Penalties can reach $53,088 per violation. Athletes can't sue under it.
• In January 2026 the FTC asked 20 Division I universities for information about agents' compliance, with answers due March 23 and covering contracts back to July 1, 2021. It was an information request, not an enforcement action (Bloomberg Law commentary, Feb. 27, 2026; FTC press release, Jan. 2026). [Unsettled] Whether enforcement follows.

Protect College Sports Act [Unsettled]

• The Senate passed S. 4668 77–22 on Sept. 28, 2026 (Senate roll call vote 250). It is not law: the House has not voted, and the House is expected to take it up after the Nov. 3 midterms (USA TODAY, Sept. 29, 2026).
• As amended Sept. 17, 2026, the Senate bill would cap an agent's fee at 5% of an endorsement contract, bar agency contracts that run past the player's eligibility, have a national association keep a public database of state-registered agents with power to decertify and fine them, amend SPARTA to require written agreements, and give athletes a private right to sue (Husch Blackwell summary; Senate Commerce Committee, Sept. 28, 2026). Final terms could change in the House. More: Protect College Sports Act.

State agent laws

Most states have an athlete-agent law, many based on the Uniform Athlete Agents Act (UAAA) or its 2015 revision (RUAAA). How each applies to NIL-only agents varies. Four examples, from the statutes and state agencies:

• Texas: an athlete agent must register with the Secretary of State before contacting a college athlete, directly or indirectly, and to sign an agent contract; $500 a year, a $50,000 surety bond (plus $100,000 if providing financial services), administrative penalties up to $50,000 and possible criminal penalties (Texas Secretary of State FAQ; Occupations Code ch. 2051).
• Ohio: no one may serve as an athlete agent without registering with the Ohio Athletic Commission; contracts must be in writing on a commission-approved form with an eligibility warning, the athletic director must be notified within 72 hours, and the athlete can cancel within 10 days. Since March 20, 2026, an NIL agent contract may not run past the athlete's college eligibility (Ohio Rev. Code ch. 4771, sections 4771.02, 4771.021, 4771.06).
• Louisiana: Act 895 of 2026 (SB 389), effective June 9, 2026, put NIL agents under the state athlete-agent law. Agents had to register with the Attorney General by Aug. 1, 2026, after a background check and pre-registration education, or stop working in the state; agents need a signed endorsement disclosure with the athlete or forfeit their fee, and athletes can sue agents for damages (Louisiana Attorney General; La. R.S. 4:435; La. R.S. 4:423.1).
• South Carolina: agents register with the Department of Consumer Affairs ($1,500 initial fee, $700 renewal, 20 hours of continuing education), must notify the athletic director within 72 hours, and athletes have 14 days to cancel. An NIL agency contract's fee may not exceed 20% (raised from 10% in 2024). Violations can bring a fine up to $100,000, and criminal penalties up to $10,000 or three years (S.C. Code ch. 59-102).
• [Unsettled] State laws keep changing, and the federal bill would add a national layer. Check the current law in every state where you'll work.

NFL Players Association

• Negotiating an NFL contract requires NFLPA certification as a contract advisor, and NCAA Bylaw 12.3.2 still bars that pro representation while a player is in college. Since July 2021 the NFLPA has let its contract advisors represent college players for NIL; those deals are “not generally the subject of the NFLPA's Regulations” and must be kept wholly separate from NFL representation (ProFootballTalk, July 1, 2021).
• NFLPA fees for NFL contracts are capped at 3%; NIL fees have no national cap [Unsettled] (The Athletic, Aug. 17, 2026).

Schools

• Many schools make agents register with their compliance office before contacting players. Virginia Tech, for example, requires state registration, its own registration form, notice within 72 hours of signing a player, and players-association certification for agents seeking to represent its athletes in pro sports (Virginia Tech Athletics). Rules vary by school.

Checklist for a would-be agent

1. Register in each state where you'll contact or represent players; check bonds, fees, fee caps and education requirements.
2. Register with the compliance office at each school whose players you'll contact.
3. Use a written contract with the required eligibility warnings, and notify the school within 72 hours of signing.
4. Make sure every deal of $600 or more is reported in NIL Go within five business days.
5. Don't offer anything of value to recruit a player, and don't take consulting pay from a school.
6. Get NFLPA certification before any NFL representation, and keep that separate from NIL work.
7. Watch the Protect College Sports Act [Unsettled]: if it becomes law, a 5% fee cap and a national agent database would follow.

Related: Top NIL agents, 2026 · State NIL laws · Legislation

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