News & Photos
NFLPA’s Mark Levin Discusses the Business World of Sports
By Julie Achilles
“One thing I loved about Temple was that they brought in professionals to teach about their topic of expertise,” said alumnus Mark Levin. Nowadays, he is the professional. On Nov. 13, 2008, Levin spoke to students in the Law and Ethics: Sport and Recreation class at Temple’s center city campus.
Levin, who graduated from Temple’s School of Communications and Theater in 1986, is now the director of the Salary Cap and Agent Administration Department for the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). Levin’s department assists the certified contract advisors in negotiating 3,000 individual player contracts per year with NFL teams and ensures that these contracts are in compliance with official regulations and market value. The department is also responsible for administering the NFLPA’s agent certification program.
Originally from the Washington, D.C. area, Levin was the salary cap manager/contract negotiator for the Washington Redskins for a brief time before working for the NFLPA.
Prior to the start of Levin’s presentation, Greg DeShields, senior director of corporate relations for STHM, spoke to students about the selective job market and the opportunities to learn from and network with in-house experts. “We’ve worked very hard to create a series of speakers who will give you insight and reach you on a personal level.”
Levin’s interactive presentation allowed for his audience to ask questions on a variety of industry-related topics. Many students inquired about the process of becoming a sports agent.
“It’s a very difficult business to break into, but there’s always room for qualified, ethical agents,” said Levin. There are currently 800 certified agents to negotiate contracts for the NFL’s 1,900 players, but 1,100 of these players are represented by only the largest 20 firms. In addition, agent certification is a complex and competitive process, involving a two-day seminar in Washington, D.C., a three-hour exam and fees for the application, liability insurance and recruiting efforts. An agent who remains inactive for three years must reapply for a license.
“You have to be realistic and have a business plan,” Levin told the students. He suggested that, if possible, aspiring agents should attend law school or pursue an MBA in order to grasp a fundamental knowledge of the business and ethics side of sports.
Agents, he said, must be able to market themselves and comfortably interact with a variety of people. Although it can be difficult to land the first client, Levin advocated taking initiative by following changes in the salary cap and economic trends in the league. “For a learning experience, go to work at an sports agency firm. You have to educate yourself and impress them with your knowledge.”
After the talk, Charlie Nobile, a sport and recreation management senior, said, “I enjoyed the insider information. It’s not every day you get to hear about player contracts, and he works in the business so he’s very knowledgeable.”
Levin’s presentation combined sports with real world business and economic advice to create a unique learning experience for Temple’s sport and recreation management students. He concluded, “It might help to know someone in the business, but hard work, passion and perseverance are the necessary keys to keep you going once you’ve started.”