Saying Colorado should have a “Jerry Maguire Act,” a Denver Democrat persuaded a House committee Thursday to endorse her bill requiring sports agents to register with the state if they contact student athletes in Colorado.
The registration would make it easier to research the backgrounds of agents operating in Colorado, thanks to similar legislation already on the books in 33 other states, Rep. Anne Mc Gihon told the House Education Committee.
House Bill 1336 could ensure that both universities and student athletes are better protected from unscrupulous sports agents, she told the House Education Committee.
It is against NCAA rules for a college player to receive commercial endorsements. And colleges can be sanctioned even if players enter such agreements without their knowledge.
“There have been abuses in other states,” McGihon said. “It doesn’t just hurt the athlete. It hurts the entire university.”
While intercollegiate sports are the focus of her bill, it covers younger athletes as well, she said.
The bill heads for the House Finance Committee after an 8-1 endorsement.
No sports agents were at the Capitol to respond to Mc Gihon’s proposal Thursday, but representatives from the secretary of state’s office and the state Department of Regulatory Agencies testified against the bill.
“Coaches drill into their players continually – ‘You do not talk to an agent,”‘ said Geoff Hier of DORA, arguing there is no evidence the legislation is needed. “People know what they’re doing.”
But Tom McGrath, special assistant to University of Colorado at Boulder athletic director Mike Bohn, said the legislation could be of great help to universities in the state.
“Athletic agents have been an issue, especially in high-profile sports like football and basketball,” McGrath said.
Though coaches are encouraged to remind players that they risk their eligibility to play by even talking to agents, Mc Gihon’s proposal would create a greater deterrent, he said.
If, for example, a player and an agent enter into a deal that results in sanctions against the school after that player has gone professional, McGihon’s bill would allow schools to sue both the agent and the former student athlete.
Schools could sue for “losses and expenses incurred as a result of the educational institution being penalized, disqualified, or suspended from participation by an athletics association or conference or as a result of reasonable self-imposed disciplinary actions,” according to the published bill summary.
Staff writer Jim Hughes can be reached at 303-820-1244 or jhughes@denverpost.com.
