June and July’s “bring your agent to school months” didn’t exactly go over well with the NCAA. As a result, USC was torched and North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama and Florida became points of interest regarding agent/player relationships. In an effort to ensure that her own student-athletes wouldn’t be linked to agents in the future, North Carolina State Athletic Director Debbie Yow is taking action.
In a letter yet to be written, Yow will warn registered agents in North Carolina that if they tango with N.C. State student-athletes unlawfully, the University will file suit. “I’m going to protect N.C. State University from any agent abuse,” Yow said.
Currently, North Carolina’s Uniform Athlete Agent Act requires agents to register within their state of interest. It also prohibits them from making promises of value to student-athletes while they are still enrolled at the university. A breach of this law in North Carolina would count as a Class 1 felony and could result in a $25,000 fine.
Yow and ACC commissioner John Swofford are hoping that legal ramifications coupled with expensive lawsuits will be enough to prevent agents from acting with athletes illegally.
A significant question mark to Yow’s plan, however, is the assessment of blame and subsequent monetary value. In USC’s case, heavy sanctions were levied on its football program because of a “lack of institutional control” and not against an individual agent, even though the agent was the one performing illegally.
Essentially, at what point do you blame the university or the agent? Does a $25,000 lawsuit against an agent offset potential financial losses due to NCAA sanctions?
The questions continue to pile with no clear answers.
Does the NCAA, and it’s nearly 500 bureaucratic staff members, really need to be more involved? If not, who should dictate and assess responsibility? Should there be standard punishments administered by the NCAA in addition to legal justice? Who do those get levied against and how?
Yow’s letter is well intended. If nothing else, it’s good for N.C. State and it’s good for college football, but it hasn’t even hit the tip of the iceberg. And this one goes way, way down.