Education To Become A Sports Agent

Becoming a sports agent does not require you to have a specific post-secondary degree. Breaking into the profession by knowing key players can be an effective way to become a sports agent. However, certain degrees and educational paths can make you a more appealing agent for recruiting agencies and athletes who consider using your services. Only the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) requires agents to have a post-secondary degree; otherwise, you can choose from any number of applicable courses and degrees to begin your career.

Business Management

A degree in business management can benefit your career in a variety of ways. In your courses, you'll learn more about negotiation and communication tactics that can help you sign players and negotiate with teams. It can also help give you a better understanding of money and commissions. As of 2011, the maximum commission an agent can receive from signing a player is 3 percent, according to the NFLPA. A business management degree is an impressive force on a resume should you be applying to an agency rather than trying to recruit players on your own.

Marketing

A degree in marketing or a related area of business can help you become a better salesperson. As an agent, you're basically "selling" a player to a team, so your sales skills must be on point and your intuition sharp. Through the coursework for a degree in marketing, you'll learn how to tailor pitches depending on the company or business and gain valuable skills that can help you at the negotiating table. Specialty marketing, including entertainment marketing and public relations, can raise your stock as an agent, according to the college information resource Degree Directory.

Sports Management

Having a foot in the door when it comes to sports management can help you become a more desirable agent. Not only does it prove you understand and are familiar with the sports that your athletes play, it shows that you can build relationships with coaching staffs and management. FamilyEducation.com contributor and career coach Carol Carter says that working with a team in a management or administrative capacity while you are in a sports management program can help you understand better the organization of a team and give you better leverage as an agent.

Law

A law degree isn't necessary to become a sports agent, but attending law school and becoming a lawyer can make you a more appealing agent for athletes. The Uniform Athletes Agent Act in 40 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, protects athletes from unsavory agents by regulating the registration of agents and their conduct, according to the NCAA. But a lawyer is held to much higher standards and must abide by the guidelines set forth by the American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct. This can be appealing for athletes who want an agent who is equipped to deal with liability and conflicts of interest while understanding contract law effectively for better negotiations, point out legal experts Kenneth L. Shropshire and Timothy Davis in their book "The Business of Sports Agents."