NCAA Baseball agent rule change finally arrives six years after Andrew Oliver case

The NCAA has changed its stance regarding prospective student athletes using agents in their negotiation with Major League Baseball teams and will now allow agents to actively represent their client's interests.  

The topic of agents and specifically the case of Andrew Oliver was first chronicled in March of 2009 by UltimateSportsInsider.com and has been among the most read series on this website.

Understanding the history and how we've arrived at this change is important. Six years ago, the NCAA aggressively fought Andrew Oliver and his attorney Rick Johnson.  The NCAA lost court battles and faced a contempt of court hearing before ultimately settling out of court for $750,000 over its conduct and denial of Oliver's legal rights.

Six long years later, the resistance is gone with the NCAA voting 72-2 in favor of allowing representation - chipping away another piece of the amateurism facade.

There is no doubt that this erosion will continue.  Its impossible to effectively argue that legal representation for one group of students should be permitted while preventing such representation for others.  Additional movement on the issue of legal representation is likely just another lawsuit or NCAA Legislative cycle away from further changes (if the Association wants to be proactive.)  

Oliver @drewoliver27 has 31 career innings pitched in Major League Baseball.