15 USC 7802 – Regulation of unfair and deceptive acts and practices in connection with the contact between an athlete agent and a student athlete
(a) Conduct prohibited
It is unlawful for an athlete agent to—
(1) directly or indirectly recruit or solicit a student athlete to enter into an agency contract, by—
(A) giving any false or misleading information or making a false promise or representation; or
(B) providing anything of value to a student athlete or anyone associated with the student athlete before the student athlete enters into an agency contract, including any consideration in the form of a loan, or acting in the capacity of a guarantor or co-guarantor for any debt;
(2) enter into an agency contract with a student athlete without providing the student athlete with the disclosure document described in subsection (b); or
(3) predate or postdate an agency contract.
(b) Required disclosure by athlete agents to student athletes
(1) In general
In conjunction with the entering into of an agency contract, an athlete agent shall provide to the student athlete, or, if the student athlete is under the age of 18, to such student athlete’s parent or legal guardian, a disclosure document that meets the requirements of this subsection. Such disclosure document is separate from and in addition to any disclosure which may be required under State law.
(2) Signature of student athlete
The disclosure document must be signed by the student athlete, or, if the student athlete is under the age of 18, by such student athlete’s parent or legal guardian, prior to entering into the agency contract.
(3) Required language
The disclosure document must contain, in close proximity to the signature of the student athlete, or, if the student athlete is under the age of 18, the signature of such student athlete’s parent or legal guardian, a conspicuous notice in boldface type stating: “Warning to Student Athlete: If you agree orally or in writing to be represented by an agent now or in the future you may lose your eligibility to compete as a student athlete in your sport. Within 72 hours after entering into this contract or before the next athletic event in which you are eligible to participate, whichever occurs first, both you and the agent by whom you are agreeing to be represented must notify the athletic director of the educational institution at which you are enrolled, or other individual responsible for athletic programs at such educational institution, that you have entered into an agency contract.”
Terms Used In 15 USC 7802
- agency contract: means an oral or written agreement in which a student athlete authorizes a person to negotiate or solicit on behalf of the student athlete a professional sports contract or an endorsement contract. See 15 USC 7801
- athlete agent: means an individual who enters into an agency contract with a student athlete, or directly or indirectly recruits or solicits a student athlete to enter into an agency contract, and does not include a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, or guardian of such student athlete, any legal counsel for purposes other than that of representative agency, or an individual acting solely on behalf of a professional sports team or professional sports organization. See 15 USC 7801
- athletic director: means an individual responsible for administering the athletic program of an educational institution or, in the case that such program is administered separately, the athletic program for male students or the athletic program for female students, as appropriate. See 15 USC 7801
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Guarantor: A party who agrees to be responsible for the payment of another party's debts should that party default. Source: OCC
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
- State: includes a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See 15 USC 7801
- student athlete: means an individual who engages in, is eligible to engage in, or may be eligible in the future to engage in, any intercollegiate sport. See 15 USC 7801
- writing: includes printing and typewriting and reproductions of visual symbols by photographing, multigraphing, mimeographing, manifolding, or otherwise. See 1 USC 1