It’s Agent Week 2019! If you’re one of those people getting on a plane today, ready to head to Washington, D.C., for the 2019 NFLPA Exam, I know you’re excited, and I bid you safe travels.

Hopefully, you’ve spent the last several weeks preparing for the exam. Maybe you’ve been too busy to do that, and your first exposure to the CBA will take place on the flight in. Either way, you’re probably wondering what it’s going to cost to achieve your dream of becoming a successful NFL agent. In other words, how much money will it take to actually build a network, represent active NFL players, and make money doing it? Here’s a quick overview in round numbers.

• Let’s say you pass the exam, which we hope you do. It will cost about $5,000 to register for the exam, pay first-year dues, and buy liability insurance. By the time you fly to D.C., pay for a room for a couple days, and eat, you’re looking at another $1,000 or so. Let’s say it’s $6,000 simply to take the exam and become a contract advisor.
• Depending on where you decide to recruit, it’s going to cost you at least another couple hundred dollars, and more commonly a couple thousand, just to register with the respective states. Of course, you might choose not to register, but if you’re an attorney, you are probably loathe to risk a censure or disciplinary action, so you probably will (and if you’re recruiting Texas, you better). Let’s say $1,000, just to choose a round number, though that’s the floor if you recruit anywhere that has real prospects.
• Let’s skip to January, and you are fortunate enough to sign 2-3 players that are worthy of the attention of NFL scouts (thought that’s probably a long shot, as a rookie agent). Keep in mind that, in 2019, every player of any import knows his worth. At a minimum, you are looking at $20,000 to train three players. You will spend probably another $3,000 on various expenses related solely to players — buying them a plane flight home mid-training; buying them workout clothes; renting them a car — and that’s a very conservative number. But let’s say $23,000, so we’re at around $30,000.
• Travel, lodging and food are a big expense when you’re recruiting. Over the course of December, January and February, when you are fighting to sign players, then traveling to all-star games and the combine for the annual seminar, often buying flights late and renting hotel rooms in out-of-the-way places, I’d say you’ll spend another $5,000-$7,000, and again, that’s pretty conservative.
• You’re going to spend another $2,000 to $3,000 somewhere along the way. Maybe it’s on a draft-day party, a stray rental payment for a player’s girlfriend, tickets to an NBA game, whatever. It adds up.

Bottom line, if you really do this, pursuing legitimate prospects and going for it, you’re looking at around $35,000.

On the other hand, maybe you don’t recruit at all, signing only players that call you. You don’t register in any states, waiting to sign a player late and only registering in the state from which he came. You manage to convince your clients to train at school, or on their own, and they relent because they don’t have any choice. Your clients don’t get into all-star games or the combine, so you don’t have to travel so much. You’re still gonna wind up spending around $7,000-$8,000, even if you go the super-cheap route. And you still get to live your dream. You’re an NFL agent, even if you’re not exactly living large.

This weekend is about realizing a lifelong goal. Be smart about spending your money, but don’t pretend you don’t have to spend any money. That’s one reason we strongly recommend you don’t try to save a couple hundred dollars studying solely on your own, especially when we have proven, reliable materials that will drive up your chance of succeeding Friday. Isn’t it worth it to spend a little more to make sure you pass? We think so.

Of course, whatever you choose, we wish you good luck this weekend, and we look forward to working with you. Welcome to the biz!