IRVING, Texas — Agent-gate isn’t whipping the Big 12 into a frenzy.
Tuesday was the second day of the conference’s football media days. The issue came up sparingly and, when it did, nobody made any great headlines.
That wasn’t the case last week when Alabama coach Nick Saban compared bad-behaving agents to pimps.
Though the issue could be more personal for the Crimson Tide coach. Currently, the school is investigating whether junior offensive lineman Marcell Dareus broke any rules by attending an agent’s party in Miami’s South Beach.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy issued the strongest statement Tuesday.
“The two people that need to get involved are the NCAA and the NFL,” he said. “I mean, obviously, they need to come to an agreement.”
But that was as far as Gundy took it.
Kansas State coach Bill Snyder also addressed the issue, saying his program does everything it can to educate players on the rules.
“It’s always been a major concern,” Snyder said. “We have sessions with our youngsters. We bring people into visit with our youngsters.”
Snyder added that Kansas State screens potential agents for its athletes and offers athletes and their families a chance to meet their potential representatives in a controlled environment.
“That doesn’t necessarily stop the onslaught … I don’t believe that it always takes place as I would like,” Snyder said. “Is it an issue? I think it’s a major issue in college athletics.”
Players making the right decisions might take care of the issue. That’s the point Texas Tech nose guard and Noble High School product Colby Whitlock put across.
“You’ve got to be able not to put yourself in a bad situation,” he said. “If a new car shows up in your driveway, you’ve got to know it’s not all right.”
Clay Horning 366-3526 cfhorning@normantranscript.com
