filipfoto/iStock(NEW YORK) — Days after introducing controversial certifications requirements for agents to represent college basketball players considering whether to enter the NBA Draft, the NCAA has changed those qualifications, no longer requiring those agents to have a bachelor’s degree.
Agents seeking to represent those athletes will now have to be in good standing with the National Basketball Players Association.
“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,” said the NCAA in a statement.
The statement said the original requirements were meant to fulfill that goal, but that because “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 original rules were criticized by many, largely because a number of current NBA agents did not attend college. Rich Paul, who represents NBA stars like LeBron James, Chris Paul, Ben Simmons and Anthony Davis, does not have a college degree. James and Paul were vocal in their criticism of the degree requirement for agents.
Other requirements for agents to represent college athletes considering their draft options include certification by the NBPA for three years, payment of required fees, and an in-person NCAA qualification exam.
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