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Frequent Questions — 2010

The Schwartz & Feinsod FAQ section contains a comprehensive listing of common questions that our athletes bring to us. To download additional information from the NCAA on having a career in professional athletics, click here. If you have additional comments or questions for the staff, please feel free to contact us.

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Question:

Where can I receive counseling on my future professional athletics career?

A student-athlete can contact the institution's athletics director to learn if his/her school sponsors a professional sports counseling panel.

An authorized professional sports counseling panel is permitted to advise a student-athlete about a future professional career, provide direction on securing disability insurance, review a proposed contract, meet with the student-athlete and representatives of professional teams, communicate directly with representatives of a professional team to assist in securing a tryout with that team, assist in selecting an agent by participating with the student-athlete in interviews of agents and by reviewing information provided by agents, and visit with agents or representatives of professional athletics teams to assist the student-athlete in determining his/her market value.

Question:

Can an institution provide educational sessions on agents, professional teams, the draft, etc.?

Yes. A professional sports counseling panel can be a resource provided by the institution to help educate student-athletes interested in a professional sports career.

Question:

Can I request that a professional athletics organization send me information concerning my professional market value?

Yes. An individual may request information about professional market value without affecting his or her amateur status.

Question:

Can I seek advice from an attorney or third party regarding a proposed professional contract?

A student-athlete can seek advice from an attorney or third party regarding a proposed professional contract if that attorney or third party does not represent the student-athlete in negotiations for that contract.

It is not permissible for an attorney or third party to be present during discussions of a contract with a professional team, and the attorney or third party may not have contact with a professional sports organization on your behalf. It is considered representation if an attorney or third party are present during such discussions.

Question:

As an enrolled student-athlete, am I allowed to enter the draft without jeopardizing my eligibility?

Division I-A and I-AA football student-athletes are permitted to enter the NFL draft one time without jeopardizing eligibility in that sport, provided the student-athlete is not drafted by any team in that league and the student-athlete declares his intention to resume intercollegiate football participation within 72 hours after the NFL draft declaration date. Further, the 72-hour period begins at 12:01 a.m., after the NFL draft declaration deadline. This date is traditionally in mid-January.

In the above circumstance, the individual may not have an oral or written agreement with an agent or not received any benefits from an agent in order to return to or enroll in an NCAA institution.

Question:

As a currently enrolled student-athlete or prospective student-athlete, is being drafted the only way to play in the NFL?

No. As a general rule of thumb, an individual can petition the NFL to declare for the draft three years subsequent to his/her high school graduation date.

Four years subsequent to high school graduation, an individual is immediately eligible for the draft. If an individual is not drafted, then he/she is considered a free agent immediately following the primary draft of his/her draft year.

Please note that this may vary depending on specific circumstances, so contact the NFL for more details.

Question:

As an enrolled student-athlete, can I try out for a professional team without jeopardizing my eligibility? As a prospective student-athlete? As a junior college transfer student-athlete?

A prospective student-athlete remains eligible in a sport even though, prior to enrollment in a collegiate institution, the student-athlete may have tried out with a professional athletics team in a sport or received not more than one expense paid visit from each professional team, provided such a visit did not exceed 48 hours and any payment or compensation with the visit was not in excess of actual and necessary expenses. A self-financed tryout may be for any length of time.

A student-athlete shall not try out with a professional athletics team in a sport or permit a professional athletics team to conduct medical examinations during any part of the academic year while enrolled in a collegiate institution as a regular student in at least a minimum full-time academic load, unless the student-athlete has exhausted eligibility in that sport. The student-athlete may try out with a professional organization in a sport during the summer or during the academic year while not a full-time student, provided the student-athlete does not receive any form of expenses or other compensation from the professional organization.

Question:

Who do I contact to get information on my draft status?

In order to determine how high an individual will be drafted, there is an NFL panel that can be contacted. An institution's professional sports counseling panel may request information for a student-athlete from a professional sports team or organization regarding the student-athlete's potential as a professional athlete.

Question:

What is the NFL combine?

Each February, professional scouts from the NFL select senior athletes to participate in the combines. The athletes are tested in a series of drills including timed runs, strength and conditioning and position drills, and are given thorough physical and mental examinations.

Question:

Can I attend the NFL combine, as an enrolled student-athlete, without affecting my eligibility? As a prospective student-athlete? As a junior college transfer student-athlete?

A prospective student-athlete remains eligible in a sport even though, prior to enrollment in a collegiate institution, the student-athlete may have tried out with a professional athletics team in a sport or received not more than one expense-paid visit from each professional team, provided such a visit did not exceed 48 hours and any payment or compensation with the visit was not in excess of actual and necessary expenses. A self-financed tryout may be for any length of time.

Subsequent to enrollment, a student-athlete shall not try out with a professional athletics team in a sport or permit a professional athletics team to conduct medical examinations during any part of the academic year while enrolled in a collegiate institution as a regular student in at least a minimum full-time academic load, unless the student-athlete has exhausted eligibility in that sport. The student-athlete may try-out with a professional organization in a sport during the summer or during the academic year while not a full-time student, provided the student-athlete does not receive any form of expenses or other compensation from the professional organization.

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