Sports Law

International Students Excluded from Collegiate NIL Deals

November 27, 2024

Although college athletes have the potential to secure impressive NIL deals, the opportunity is generally not given to international athletes.  However, Congress has proposed a bill that could allow international student-athletes to participate.  [...]

Protection for Play: Student-Athletes and the Renewed Fight for Workers’ Compensation Benefits

June 23, 2022

The National Collegiate Athlete Association (“NCAA”) has a longstanding history of denying employment-related benefits to student-athletes.  Student-athletes have never been able to claim employment status at the university they attend. Accordingly, injured student-athletes have traditionally been unable to make a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.  The theory and rationale behind denying student-athletes employment status at the university they attended is based on the idea of [...]

Minor League Baseball’s Major Contract Problem

March 9, 2022

Fall signals the arrival of colder weather, brown leaves, and pumpkins.  It also brings one of the best times to be a sports fan with the National Hockey League (NHL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) starting new seasons, the National Football League (NFL) in full swing, and postseason Major League Baseball (MLB). In 2021, the Atlanta Braves were the MLB Champions after they defeated the Houston Astros in the World Series.  For the twenty-six players on each team, winning the World [...]

Flag on the Play: NCAA v. Alston changes the face of Name, Image, and Likeness Rules for thousands of student-athletes

October 31, 2021

In September of 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that would allow California’s collegiate athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness beginning in 2023.  The bill was passed in direct opposition to the NCAA regulations that prohibit ‘amateur’ athletes from receiving personal sponsorships and endorsements while they are collegiate athletes.  While debates over name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation existed prior to the passage of the California bill, [...]

Four World Cup Titles and the Bottom Line: A Look into the U.S. Women’s National Team’s Fight for Equal Pay

February 5, 2021

During the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the United States Women’s National Team defeated the Netherlands to secure their second consecutive World Cup title and fourth overall. However, the team had a much bigger score to settle behind the scenes, that of unequal pay, with their employers, the United States Soccer Federation. As of December 2020, the Women’s National Team reached a settlement with USSF regarding their claim of unequal working conditions. Currently, the team still plans to appeal concerning their equal pay claims. [...]

Racial Injustice – Will the NFL Fight to Change Itself?

January 22, 2021

As our country focuses on racial injustices throughout the United States, virtually no part of society is immune to racial inequality, including the NFL. Roger Goodell, commissioner of the NFL, released a statement in the wake of the many tragedies that have occurred around the United States and insisted that the NFL “was committed to continuing the important work to address these systemic issues.” Before the NFL can do anything in the community, they must address systemic issues in their own league. [...]

Houston Astros Sign-Stealing Scandal: A Review of Legal Actions Brought by Ticket Holders

May 11, 2020

 The Houston Astros became the poster child of cheating in professional baseball this past year, due to their sign-stealing scheme that spanned the entire 2017 Major League Baseball (MLB) season and the earlier part of the 2018 season.  To make matters worse, the Astros won the 2017 World Series, leaving many fans and players to speculate whether or not they would have won the title absent cheating.  While sign-stealing is not illegal, and, in fact, is commonplace around the league, MLB [...]

Hoop Dreams Turned Nightmares

February 15, 2018

The NCAA is in foul trouble after the FBI unveiled a major corruption scheme involving coaches, players, and marketing executives. [...]

Golden Knights need golden ticket

April 24, 2017

The NHL’s collective bargaining agreement explains the complex process the new team must endure as it attempts to be competitive from its inaugural season. [...]
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