'Street agents' exploiting athletes in NIL deals, coaches warn

"AS CASH HAS flooded college and high school athletic recruiting through NIL deals and direct payments from schools, coaches and other observers say they see a growing need to regulate the middlemen who carve out a profit by putting themselves between the money and the athlete. So-called "street agents," who typically aren't certified agents or even attorneys, recruit players around the edges of the game and promise to represent them in pursuit of college scholarships or deals for their name, image and likeness."

"Coaches say high school athletes are more at risk of being exploited than college athletes because they lack the support and structure of a university compliance office, and they are sometimes the only student at their school weighing an offer, with no points of comparison. Street agents are often former players, trainers, parents, coaches or just people who say they have a connection to NIL collectives, recruiters or sponsors. Coaches say these agents contact athletes through social media, private training facilities, AAU basketball."

Cash from NIL deals and direct payments has increased the role of middlemen in college and high school athletic recruiting. So-called street agents, often uncertified and not attorneys, solicit players for scholarships or NIL deals and sometimes charge high fees. The prevalence and dollar amounts of such activity have grown exponentially since the NIL era began. High school athletes face greater exploitation risk due to lack of university compliance support and limited peer comparison. Street agents commonly include former players, trainers, parents or others claiming connections to collectives, recruiters or sponsors and contact athletes via social media, private facilities and AAU circuits. Coaches call for regulation of these intermediaries.

Read at ESPN.com