Do NCAA Athletes sign Athlete Agreements Under Duress?

First of all, duress is the use of force or threats to compel someone to act contrary to his/her interests.  If duress is used to get someone to sign an agreement then a court can find the contract null and void.

From this definition, I don't think NCAA players sign under duress.  NCAA sports generate huge profits for institutions especially from football and basketball.  To create a competitive sport program, it all starts with recruiting.  Top student-athletes are recruited by dozens of schools at once and that can put pressure on the student-athlete to make the right decision.  However, these institutions don't threaten the athlete if they don't sign (no cases can be found).



The student-athletes are allowed school visits and make the decision that's best for them.  This can be seen as stressful for the student-athletes but can't be considered duress.  The NCAA has harsh sanctions for cheating which can be seen through recent scandals such as the University of Southern California athletics scandal.  USC provided gifts to Reggie Bush to coerce him into signing however paying NCAA athletes is prohibited.  This had the ability to change Reggie Bush's interests but he wasn't forced to accept the gift or threatened to sign.


In conclusion, from my perspective NCAA athletes don't sign athlete agreements under duress and there hasn't been a history of it made publicly.