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No New NFL Agents In 2011

The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) issued the following notice yesterday, December 22, 2010:

NEW APPLICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE!!!!

As you are aware, the NFLPA/NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement is set to expire on March 3, 2011, at the conclusion of the 2010 NFL Season. While the parties to the CBA have been working tirelessly on a new CBA, a new agreement has not yet been reached. Because of the uncertain circumstances surrounding the CBA and the possibility of a lockout of our players by the NFL and its clubs after the expiration of the CBA, the NFLPA has determined that it would be inappropriate to allow new Contract Advisors to become Certified at this time. Therefore, please be advised that we will not accept any new Applications for Certification until further notice. In addition, this also applies to those applicants who were scheduled to re-take the New Agent Exam in 2011. You should consult our website periodically for any change to this policy.

The bold and underline did not stress the point to me, but the four exclamation marks certainly drove it home.

Traditionally, the NFLPA allows people interested in becoming NFLPA Contract Advisors to apply for certification at any time in the month of January.  There are no opportunities outside of January to submit an application.  In 2011, it seems as though there will be absolutely no window to apply.

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.

2 replies on “No New NFL Agents In 2011”

SINCE THERE WILL BE NO CONTRACT THIS MEANS THAT THE nflpa HAS NO CONTROL OVER WHO REPRESENTS WHOM AS THEY NO LONGER WILL BE THE SOLE BARGAINING AGENT FOR PLAYERS AND PROSPECTIVE PLAYERS, INFORM ME IS THIS IS INCORRECT!

No new agents = antitrust violation. The policy is protecting the existing group of agents and hurting the market.

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