Though the NCAA and coaches' associations agree that street agents should be addressed, the path to regulation is unclear.
The NFL's and NBA's players' associations require their agents to pay a registration fee, have a college degree, undergo a background check and pass an exam. College athletes do not have a union, though two groups pushing
for collective bargaining in college sports include rules on athlete representation in their proposals.
The NCAA, which has largely stayed out of NIL enforcement issues, told ESPN in a statement that it has limited ability to regulate agents. (The association has rules for agents working with college basketball players who are trying to enter the NBA draft.)
The College Sports Commission, created by the House settlement last summer to regulate NIL deals and payments to college athletes, is just getting off the ground. Agents are not included in the House settlement provisions, and a spokesperson for the CSC did not say whether the agency would tackle the issue.
Bohl said his organization, the AFCA, has considered addressing the issue but would be limited to football. He said that some states have laws regarding NIL and agent representation but that they are difficult to enforce without uniformity and clear oversight over high school athletes, especially with colleges and agents interacting across state lines.
What's clear, officials say, is that solving this problem will require them to work together. Martin, who leads the Texas High School Coaches Association, said he met with NFL representatives attending the 2026 combine in Indianapolis about the issue to solicit possible solutions.
