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University Of Louisville Requests Agents To Discontinue Communications With Student-Athletes

Florida Gators defensive lineman Sharrif Floyd (73) sacks Louisville Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) during the third quarter of the Sugar Bowl. Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Late Friday afternoon, many football agents received an email from Emily Garr, a Compliance Assistant at the University of Louisville Athletics.  The unexpected email contained two attachments: (1) a letter from Garr and Jody Sykes, Associate Athletic Director at Louisville; and (2) a University of Louisville Agent Registration form.  The letter was copied and pasted in the body of the email for convenience and is embedded, below.

I wonder how exactly the university is going to enforce the policy contained in the letter.  This is typically my reaction when I review this type of correspondence.  For instance, the correspondence contains a section that reads, “We request that you discontinue all forms of communications, including but not limited to social media, telephone calls and text messages immediately.  If contact does not stop, you will not be given the opportunity to represent any of our student-athletes.”  First of all, why use the word “request” and not “demand”, if in fact the school will take action in the case that an agent fails to comply?  Further, how exactly does the University of Louisville plan to prevent individuals from having the opportunity to represent any of its student-athletes?  It cannot effectively prevent any of its players from signing with the agent of his choice.  While I am not bashing Louisville for trying to implement a policy it deems to be worthwhile, it is hard for me to believe that any agent will register with the institution for fear of being punished pursuant to the letter.

The University of Louisville agent registration form is below.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

4 replies on “University Of Louisville Requests Agents To Discontinue Communications With Student-Athletes”

So if I draft and disseminate a press release stating I am Batman, is it so? The point being, I understand that the communication states the consequence, but how on earth can the university enforce that?

Another questions is that “ALL” correspondence must go through their compliance office…how are they going to manage all that? Last time I checked, the compliance departments were a handful of people if that….now you want to toss is “all” correspondence for every sport they represent? Good luck with that!

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