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Represent Stars On The Field And In The Classroom

Value must be placed on an athlete’s ability to perform on a football field, basketball court, baseball diamond, etc, but having a strong education should also be a factor that is considered when trying to woo a client to your agency.

Derrick Z. Jackson of the Boston Globe has just released a chart that displays the AP Top 25 College Football Poll next to a ranking of those schools based on their graduation rates [Graduating to a new standard]. While the national championship would not be Ohio State up against Florida, UF still is fairly impressively ranked at #6 (OSU is tied at #25 with a 55% graduation rate).

Does an institution’s graduation rate necessarily matter when selecting clients? Maybe. If I am looking to go shopping for more than one client, I may choose to scout at a school that places more emphasis on making sure that their players are successful on and off the field. At the same time, Texas puts a lot of great players into the NFL, and the school has a meager 40% graduation rate among its players.

Either way, it is an interesting comparison, so go check it out!

-Darren Heitner

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.

3 replies on “Represent Stars On The Field And In The Classroom”

I think that when selecting clients, you must not simply examine them based on their on-field, on-court etc. performance. They are not simply athletes, they are also people, and there is a better chance of them being responsible people off the field if they attended a more respected institution where they were not simply put on the fast track to the pro’s, but rather also taught some life lessons before they make their million.

Many of the notoriously successful schools do not have the most impressive graduations rates, as they often have underclassmen leave early for the pro’s. While there is nothing wrong with leaving school early to go to the pro’s, you are only in school once and staying an extra year or two to graduate would generally produce a better client I believe.

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