AGENTS & ADVISORS

NCAA and Virginia Law Information Regarding Agents and NIL Representation

Effective July 1, 2025, the NCAA adopted updated legislation governing professional representation and NIL activities. These rules, combined with Virginia state law, establish how Virginia Tech student-athletes may engage with agents, attorneys, financial advisors, and other professional service providers.

• NCAA Bylaw 12 (Amateurism and Agents):
  A student-athlete will be deemed ineligible if they agree orally or in writing to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing their athletic ability or reputation as a professional athlete. Student-athletes (or their family/friends) may not accept benefits from an agent, and no individual (including attorneys) may negotiate a professional sports contract on their behalf until eligibility is exhausted or formally forfeited.
• NCAA Bylaw 22 (NIL Activities and Professional Service Providers):
  Student-athletes may use professional service providers, including agents, attorneys, or financial advisors, for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) activities. These arrangements must be consistent with industry standards, reported through the NCAA NIL clearinghouse, and disclosed to the Virginia Tech Compliance Office.
• Virginia State Law (Code of Virginia § 54.1-526 et seq.):
  An athlete agent must be registered with the Commonwealth of Virginia and with the Virginia Tech Athletics Compliance Office before contacting or representing a student-athlete. Registration with Virginia Tech may serve as the required notification under Virginia law. Both the agent and the student-athlete must also notify the Athletics Director (or designee) within 72 hours of signing an agency contract, or before the next athletic event, whichever comes first.
• Professional League Certification:
  In addition to state and institutional registration, agents must hold certification from the appropriate professional players’ association (NFLPA, NBPA, MLBPA, NHLPA, MLSPA, etc.) when seeking to represent Virginia Tech student-athletes.

If you are an agent interested in representing a Virginia Tech student-athlete, you must complete the Virginia Tech Agent Registration Form. All representation agreements must be submitted to the Compliance Office for review.

Relevant materials are provided below.

Agent and Financial Advisor Protocol
NIL Protocol for Agents
VT Agent Registration Form
Commonwealth of Virginia Athlete Agent Law
Commonwealth of Virginia Athlete Agent Registration Application