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- Transfer Portal Advisors vs. NIL Agent
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As we’re heavy into Transfer Portal season for football, I’m seeing a lot of transfer portal advisors popping up seemingly out of nowhere who want to work with young athletes in choosing their next school.
This is in addition to NIL Agents already working in the industry, along with agents at larger agencies (WME, Excel, Roc Nation, etc.) who rep both college and pro athletes. (And high school athletes, in some instances.)
What’s the difference?
Transfer Portal Advisor
This is someone who has connections to schools looking for athletes wanting a change of scenery. They work with athletes and ‘shop them around’ to various programs, while taking a fee. (Either upfront or a percentage of a player’s revenue share agreement.)
For the most part, these people are, for lack of a better term, trying to take advantage of young athletes financially while not having their best interest in mind. There are also instances where these advisors will demand a percent of an athlete’s money while doing no work or negotiations for them.
On the flipside, these advisors are hyper-focused on one aspect of a sport and generally have reliable contacts within said area.
NIL Agent
This is someone who works with athletes on multiple facets of their student-athlete journey, including (but not limited to) personal branding, social media, contract negotiations, and sourcing deals.
NIL Agents, for the most part, care about the student-athlete holistically and not just related to their own financial gain. These folks work hard on behalf of athletes, and they really want to see them succeed and become better in their sport and beyond.
In turn, NIL Agents generally have numerous connections across many industries, but sometimes lack expertise in one specific area or sport to help athletes with specialized needs.
Which one is better?
It really depends on the needs of the athlete.
If an athlete solely wants to get paid and will choose a school based on the highest bidder, working with a Transfer Portal Advisor might be a better choice. (Though athletes should be cognizant of the work these people will do for them, as well as the percentage of their money they will take.)
If an athlete wants to build their brand while in school and prepare themselves for their next stage of life (sports or not), an NIL Agent is the way to go.
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