5-10 years ago if you said “I want to work in sports,” it meant 2 things:

-You wanted to be a sports agent
-You ended up working sales for a pro team instead

Being a sports agent was the standard to work with athletes. It was the way to get in.

Now, there are more certified agents than active NFL and NBA players combined.
(NFL: 994 agents vs. 1,696 players • NBA: 840 agents vs. 450 player)

There’s even people who call themselves “portal agents” (hate that). And (surprise) it doesn’t always work out so great for the athlete. 

Pretty soon, the concept of being a sports agent will change entirely because I’m not sure they’re what athletes are going to need.

Now anyone can be an agent, but is that a good thing?

Agents gained power and purpose through access. They pay for athletes to get the training they need, which then made sense to give them a percentage of whatever the contract ended up being.

It was impossible to be an agent without having the bankroll. If you’re a broke college athlete and someone's offering to give you a “marketing advance” and pay for your training, you take it.

This made the barrier to entry much higher for a startup agent. Could you really risk fronting that money for a player and them not ever being a position to pay you back?

NIL changed everything, especially for agents.

First, the notable agents were hesitant to get in. Now, they’re all in. But now they’re competing with 7-on-7/AAU coaches, trainers, childhood friends, lawyers, and every future ticket salesman for a major league baseball team.

Now you don’t need money to help an athlete to navigate the portal. Actually, you don't even need to know how to help an athlete navigate through the portal. You just need to be available to field calls and present yourself as adding value.

The financials makes sense for everyone except the athlete

3% of a NFL contract
4% of a NBA contract
1-30% of a portal contract (stop this. Take 5% or less)

If you’re representing 5 solid players, you’re making a decent living from being an agent.

But is it worth it for the athlete? Let’s look at it from their perspective.

What do you need an agent for? What skills do they need to help you?

GM relationships matter. Fringe players need an agent who can help evaluate their options and speak to the front offices to advocate for them.

The draft process is important. Having someone to help advise where you should train and help with pre-draft questions, etc. has its value.

Do you need them to pay for training? No. College players are making 6-figures now. You can cover your own training rather than give up 4% of your future contracts.

What about after they negotiate the contract? The agent handles year 1, but why give up that percentage in the following years? What are they doing for you?

Are they handling your marketing? Nope. But they’re definitely going to tell you that they will and look to take 20% exclusively in hopes that you don’t know any better.

If you’re elite, you can get a max deal on your own. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped his agent to run his brand directly. Lamar Jackson negotiated his own NFL contract. That’s fine. But what about when it comes to strategic partnerships? Long-term business deals?

These points fall outside the role of an agent, and outside of a childhood friend-turned-assistant.

Rich Paul might technically be Lebron’s agent, but he’s much more than that. He’s the CEO of Lebron’s empire. It keeps the upside in-house. And this is the model that will become the norm.

Athlete’s need a CEO, not an agent.

Let’s recap what an athlete needs before going to the draft.

• Advice on the draft process

• Helping to schedule and prep

• Someone to speak to front-office personnel

• Help with marketing and PR

• Getting training, housing, meal-prep, etc set up.
  

Most agents are not set up to handle all of this. Now add onto the fact they’re also advising 10-200 other players. Who comes first? Maybe you if you’re having a great year. But, what about when you’re not? Who is there to fight for your best interest?

Athletes are businesses and need CEO’s.

Here’s the Playbook for an Athlete’s CEO

Build a tight inner circle with legal, brand, and business support

The CEO’s first job is assembling the right core team a small, trusted group that includes legal counsel, a brand strategist, and the day-to-day operator.

Forget the entourage. Assemble a crew that can spot opportunities, protect the downside, and keep the athlete’s long-term interests front and center.

Bring in specialists on-demand

You don’t need a full-time staff for every function. The CEO should act as a conductor, bringing in top-tier talent when a big deal, campaign, or launch calls for it.

This lean model keeps overhead low, ensures quality, and gives the athlete access to elite execution without unnecessary commitments.

Oversee dealmaking, whether internal, athlete-led, or à la carte

Not every opportunity is a good opportunity.

The CEO’s job is to vet opportunities, structure smart deals, and make sure every partnership aligns with the bigger vision. They’re not chasing short-term money, they’re building the athlete’s empire brick by brick.

Putting the athlete first

Agents are going where the money is. They’ll call you “bro” and “family” until you have an off-year.

Imagine it's a contract year as a wide receiver and you’re coming off an injury late in your career. Your agency just signed 2 big-time draftable WR’s. Are you confident that they’re going to prioritize you in conversations? You need someone whose whole business is you.

The Setup and Financials

This all sounds great but how do you put it in place? Where does the money flow?

If you already have money or expect money to come in, it might make sense to pay monthly retainers / salaries or you can utilize the percentage model.

CEO - could take 50% from the agent, 50% from the marketing rep or anyone else that wants to work with athlete.

Agent - Could get paid like a lawyer with a billable hour setup, charge a percentage for the year they’re actually negotiating the contract, or stick with the 3-4% which is standard now. But you need to know their value to you.

The big agencies (Wasserman, CAA, WME, Athletes First, Klutch, etc) can be super valuable partners if you leverage their networks. You can’t just sit around and hope that they make things happen. They have a lot of people to serve. 

Marketing - 15-20% works if they're going to actually help market you. But if they’re just going to collect deals, anyone can do that. Your CEO can do that. 

Wealth manager - Find someone that’s going to be creative and develop a strategy based on your personality and needs. Just giving you a budget and putting your money into stocks and bonds can work, but has become the lazy standard.

You can make safe investments while still getting your toes wet with angel investing, real estate, and more.

Athletes have the leverage. It’s time to act like it.

If you’re going to be a high draft pick, you have the leverage. Most agents would do the work for far less. But you need the right people around you who are always putting you first.

Don’t treat yourself like anyone else, because you’re not. Athletes are a business and should start acting like it.