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UCF Gets Active In The Athlete Agent Regulation Game

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UCF has been busy sending emails to registered agents in an effort to beef up enforcement of its athlete agent rules.

Last week, a baseball agent forwarded me an email he received from the University of Central Florida (UCF) Athletic Compliance Office after he read my article, BYU’s New Football Agent Policy Another Laughable Attempt To Limit Communication Between Players And Agents.  These types of university communications and policies makes one wonder what is truly going on behind closed doors.

The email, in part, stated:

Through our recent research, the University of Central Florida Athletic Compliance Office has become aware of your registration with the State of Florida as an athlete-agent.  Along with registering with the State of Florida, the UCF Athletic Compliance Office requires all athlete-agents and advisors to complete the UCF Athlete-Agent Initial Registration Form if you wish to contact any of our student-athletes.

It is our institutional policy that we have copies of all of the following licenses on file prior to approval and correspondence with our student-athletes, along with completing the attached registration form.  Please complete the Agent & Advisor Initial Registration form and fax or email all documentation to the UCF Athletic Compliance Office.

* A copy of State of Florida Agent License; &

* A copy of a Professional League Agent License.

There is nothing wrong with the email other than the fact that it reveals a total lack of care concerning the process.  This baseball agent has been licensed as an Athlete Agent with the State of Florida for roughly 20 years.  That through UCF’s “recent research”, it was able to become aware of this agent’s registration is bizarre.  Further, UCF obviously knew that the baseball agent had a valid Athlete Agent license from the State of Florida – the school had to “become aware” of that information through a search of the records of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) database.  Yet, the email still wants the agent to have copies of his license on file if he wishes to contact any of UCF’s student-athletes.  When the agent called up the university to ask why it was necessary to send a copy of a license the school knew he already had, the answer he received was, “Ummm.”

That’s typically my response to why these rules exist in the first place.

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.