Sports agents have been at the center of many negative college football stories this year. As NCAA violations involving agents continue to surface, their business strategies and recruiting tactics are being questioned.
Florida is the latest school to join the trend.
On Monday, ESPN.com’s Pat Forde reported that former Gators center Maurkice Pouncey allegedly received $100,000 from a representative of an agent in between UF’s Southeastern Conference Championship loss to Alabama on Dec. 5 and its victory over Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
“Allegations aren’t all that surprising to me. Rumors have been abound for quite a while,” sports agent and CEO of Dynasty Athlete Representation Darren Heitner said.
“It’s just a matter of the fact that it seems as though the public is taking a lot of interest in it because of what recently transpired at USC with Reggie Bush.”
Pouncey is currently represented by Joel Segal, who had his firm Blue Entertainment Sports Television recently bought out by Lagardere Unlimited, a French conglomerate that is looking to make a big statement in sports representation in America.
Segal also works as the agent for Bush, Chris Johnson, Michael Vick, and former Gators Riley Cooper and Percy Harvin – among others.
But an agent other than Segal could be the one behind the alleged scandal.
The only reason one would give a student-athlete improper benefits is to recruit them as a client, according to Heitner. A failed attempt to lure Pouncey to their firm could be at the root of the alleged violation.
“We in the industry understand that there may be many instances where agents are giving players money, and those agents don’t even end up signing the player,” Heitner said.
If Pouncey is found to have accepted the money before the Sugar Bowl, many expect the NCAA to force Florida to vacate its win against Cincinnati in the BCS bowl game. However, Heitner doesn’t believe the athlete should be blamed in this scenario.
“Sometimes the players don’t understand what they can or cannot do according to NCAA, state and federal law,” he said. “Really, the burden should be on the agents not to violate those rules.”
UF and the NCAA are conducting an investigation after Florida self-reported the potential rules violation.
University Police Department Capt. Jeff Holcomb confirmed through e-mail “that the UFPD began the investigation into this case on June 9th and it is an ongoing investigation.”
“I think UF did a fantastic job,” Heitner said. “By reporting it to the state authorities, and by saying they will comply with any investigation on the NCAA level, that is exactly the model that other schools should follow.”
Mike Pouncey, Maurkice’s twin brother, is expected to speak on the issue at SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala., on Wednesday.
