SPARTA gets cited more than it gets read. It is a short statute, seven sections, written in 2004 to stop agents from signing college athletes with promises and gifts, and it sat almost unused until the FTC picked it up in January 2026. This page goes section by section, says what it does not do, and places it next to the state laws that do the licensing.
What it is
The Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act, Public Law 108-304, signed September 24, 2004, is codified at 15 U.S.C. §§ 7801 to 7807. Its text is unchanged since. It governs the contract between an athlete agent and a student athlete, and the conduct of the agent in getting it signed.
Who it covers: the definitions (§ 7801)
- An agency contract is "an oral or written agreement in which a student athlete authorizes a person to negotiate or solicit on behalf of the student athlete a professional sports contract or an endorsement contract." The second half is the part people miss: SPARTA covers NIL and endorsement agents, not only agents for pro contracts.
- An endorsement contract pays for "the use ... of that individual's person, name, image, or likeness."
- An athlete agent is an individual who enters into an agency contract with a student athlete, or recruits or solicits one to do so. It "does not include a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, or guardian of such student athlete, any legal counsel for purposes other than that of representative agency, or an individual acting solely on behalf of a professional sports team."
- A student athlete is anyone who engages in, is eligible for, "or may be eligible in the future" for an intercollegiate sport. That reaches high school athletes.
What it bans (§ 7802(a))
- Recruiting or soliciting a student athlete with false or misleading information or promises.
- Giving "anything of value" to the athlete or anyone associated with them before the agency contract is signed, including a loan or acting as a guarantor.
- Signing an agency contract without the required disclosure, or predating or postdating the contract.
The disclosure (§ 7802(b))
Before signing, the agent must give the athlete a document the athlete signs, or a parent or guardian signs if the athlete is under 18. It carries a boldface notice beginning "Warning to Student Athlete: If you agree orally or in writing to be represented by an agent now or in the future you may lose your eligibility," and says that the athlete and the agent must notify the athletic director within 72 hours of signing or before the next athletic event, whichever comes first.
Enforcement (§§ 7803, 7804, 7805)
A violation is treated as a violation of an FTC trade regulation rule, an unfair or deceptive act or practice, and the Federal Trade Commission enforces it. State attorneys general may sue in federal court for an injunction, damages or restitution after notifying the FTC. Under § 7805 both the agent and the athlete must notify the athletic director within 72 hours or before the next event, and the school gets a right of action against the agent for harm the violation causes it.
2026: the FTC acts
On January 12, 2026 the FTC sent information requests to 20 Division I universities about sports agents' compliance with the Act, with responses due March 23, 2026. The Bureau of Consumer Protection's director said the inquiry "is aimed at better understanding whether sports agents are complying with the law." The FTC's business blog the same day put the civil penalty at up to $53,088 for each violation, and the agency published a consumer alert for parents and athletes. Law firms called it the first SPARTA enforcement activity since the Act passed. No complaint or order had been published as of October 13, 2026.
What SPARTA does not do
- It does not require any athlete to have an agent, and does not forbid an athlete from negotiating for themselves.
- It does not license or register agents. That is state law.
- It does not reach agents of professional, non-student athletes.
- It does not cap fees. The fees page covers who does.
SPARTA and the state acts
Section 7807 records Congress's view that states should enact the Uniform Athlete Agents Act of 2000, and most did: the 2000 Act was enacted in 42 states, and the Revised Act of 2015, amended 2019, has 19 enactments as of the Uniform Law Commission's October 2026 count. The state acts are where registration, the written contract with its own warning box, the 14-day cancellation right and the penalties live; SPARTA sits on top as the federal floor. The two differ on who is excluded: SPARTA and the 2000 Act exempt family by name, while the Revised Act treats unpaid family advice as outside it and reaches anyone paid to manage an athlete's business affairs. The full guide sets the state acts out, and the parent page covers the family question.
How Leave fits
Leave is software and is none of the things SPARTA regulates: it does not recruit, solicit, negotiate or sign anyone to anything, and takes 0% of any deal. What it does is explain a contract, including a representation agreement, in plain words, so an athlete can see whether the warning box, the fee and the cancellation right are there before signing. It is not legal advice.
Questions athletes ask
What does SPARTA ban?
Three things, under 15 U.S.C. § 7802. Recruiting a student athlete with false or misleading information or promises. Giving anything of value to the athlete or anyone associated with them before the agency contract is signed, including loans or acting as a guarantor. And signing an agency contract without the required written disclosure, or predating or postdating it.
Does SPARTA cover NIL and endorsement agents?
Yes. The Act defines an agency contract as one in which a student athlete authorizes a person to negotiate or solicit a professional sports contract or an endorsement contract, and an endorsement contract as one paying for the use of the individual's person, name, image or likeness. It is not limited to pro-contract agents.
Who does SPARTA treat as an athlete agent?
An individual who enters into an agency contract with a student athlete, or recruits or solicits one to do so. It excludes a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent or guardian of the athlete, legal counsel acting for purposes other than representative agency, and a person acting solely for a professional team.
Does SPARTA require an athlete to have an agent?
No. Nothing in it requires representation, and nothing in it forbids an athlete from negotiating for themselves. It regulates the people who act as agents.
Who enforces SPARTA?
The Federal Trade Commission, which treats a violation as a violation of an FTC trade regulation rule, an unfair or deceptive practice. State attorneys general may also sue in federal court for an injunction, damages or restitution after notifying the FTC. In January 2026 the FTC sent information requests to 20 Division I universities about agents' compliance, with responses due March 23, 2026; no complaint or order had been published as of October 13, 2026.
What is the warning box?
The disclosure an agent must have the athlete sign (or a parent or guardian, for an athlete under 18) carries a boldface notice beginning "Warning to Student Athlete: If you agree orally or in writing to be represented by an agent now or in the future you may lose your eligibility," and requires both the athlete and the agent to notify the athletic director within 72 hours of signing or before the next athletic event, whichever comes first.
Be your own agent. Leave.