NBA Agents Reportedly Inform NCAA They Won't Register for Certification Process

Agents for NBA players are pushing back against a controversial NCAA proposal about certification requirements. 

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the National Basketball Players Association will soon transmit a letter to the NCAA signed by NBA agents informing the organization they won't register for the certification process. 

Wojnarowski noted the NBPA is in discussions with the NCAA to find some common ground for agents, including one proposal in the letter that would require agents to take a bi-annual seminar on how to protect the amateur status of student-athletes. 

Wojnarowski also shared a portion of the letter that will be sent to the NCAA: "...It is more of a mechanism for NCAA to garner access to personal and private information of Certified Agents in what amounts to subpoena power to embark upon investigations that are wholly unrelated to protecting the interests of men's basketball student-athletes in deciding whether to remain in school or to enter the NBA draft."

Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, Rich Paul's name doesn't appear among the list of agent signatures on the letter. 

The NCAA amended the controversial policy, which critics referred to as the Rich Paul Rule, on Aug. 12 that would have required agents to have a bachelor's degree, at least three years of NBPA certification and an in-person exam at NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis.

The amended rule allows student-athletes to be represented by an agent who has a bachelor's degree and/or is currently certified and in good standing with the NBPA.

The NCAA presented the rule as a way to provide student-athletes with a way to explore options for the NBA draft while maintaining their amateur status if they decide to return to school.

Student-athletes who declare for the NBA draft are permitted to go back to college if they withdraw their name from the draft 10 days after the scouting combine.