Law Commons^™

False Start On Nil: Public And Private Law Should Treat College Athletes Like Any Other Student, Jodi Balsam

Texas A&M Law Review

For most of its regulatory existence, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) has preached the importance of integrating intercollegiate athletics into the campus culture and educational mission, insisting that athletes be an integral part of the student body. A core element of this creed was the amateurism principle—college athletes must not be paid or professionalized. To preserve and enforce the amateurism principle, the NCAA and its divisions promulgated a vast and complex regulatory scheme that paradoxically resulted in segregating, rather than integrating, athletes into campus life. While nonathlete students enjoy increasing autonomy to pursue expressive and economic activity, athletes are …

College Athlete Unionization, Roberto Corrada

Texas A&M Law Review

The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2021 decision in NCAA v. Alston has opened the door to serious consideration of the potential for college athlete unionization and collective bargaining. The ruling, highlighted by Justice Kavanaugh’s concurring opinion, suggests collective bargaining as a potential solution to the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (“NCAA’s”) antitrust vulnerabilities. This Article delves into the initial legal and strategic questions surrounding the prospect of unionization, focusing particularly on NCAA Division I football and basketball, due to their significant revenue generation making them prime candidates for unionization efforts.

The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) is positioned to …

The Nil Paradox: How Unfettered Nil Rights Will Shrink Student-Athlete Opportunities, Gary Way

Texas A&M Law Review

In 2019, California passed the Fair Pay to Play Act which granted student-athletes (“SAs”) attending institutions within the state the right to monetize the use of their name, image, and likeness (“NIL”). That enactment ushered in the most transformative change in college sports since the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (“NCAA”) decision over 50 years ago to allow freshman eligibility to play varsity football. The California law, coupled with the subsequent Supreme Court decision in NCAA v. Alston, which held that the NCAA’s limitations on education-related SA benefits constituted an unlawful restraint of trade under the Sherman Act, unleashed a …

An Antitrust Analysis Of The Ncaa Transfer Policy, Michael Carrier, Marc Edelman

Texas A&M Law Review

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) is no stranger to antitrust law. As a trade association composed of nearly all U.S. colleges offering competitive sports, its rules are regularly challenged under antitrust law. In the past 40 years, the NCAA has faced challenges to rules limiting televised game broadcasts, curtailing assistant coaches’ pay, and restraining players’ compensation, among other issues. Restraints on college athlete transfers also could subject the Association to reasonable legal scrutiny.

Restrictions on the ability to transfer can harm athletes by preventing their immediate eligibility even though transferring could allow them to be closer to family, enroll …

Good Lawyers, Good Sports?: The Professional Identity Of Sports Lawyers Representing Not-For-Profit Entities, Bruce Green

Texas A&M Law Review

ABA accreditation standards require law schools to develop students’ professional identity, including by encouraging “an intentional exploration of” the legal profession’s “values [and] guiding principles.” This Essay invites legal academia as well as practitioners to explore issues of legal ethics, professionalism, and, especially, professional identity in the context of a new area of legal practice: sports lawyers’ representation of “NIL collectives,” which are not-forprofit entities that college boosters establish to enable college athletes to benefit financially from their name, image and likeness (“NIL”). The work of sports lawyers advising NIL collectives offers an interesting case study for considering how professional …

Transcription Of 2023 Texas A&M Law Review Symposium: "More Than Sports: What Comes After Nil?", Jeffrey Kessler

Texas A&M Law Review

This transcription presents Jeffrey Kessler's keynote speech at the 2023 Texas A&M Law Review Symposium on NCAA v. Alston and the future ahead.

New Amateurism, Michael Mccann

Texas A&M Law Review

This Article proposes a new model for the legal and economic relationship between college athletes and their schools. The National Collegiate Athletic Association and its member conferences and schools are besieged with legal challenges over rules that restrain the capacity of athletes to earn compensation for their athletic labor and the commercial value of their identities. The legal challenges are extensive and scrutinize membership rules under labor, employment, and antitrust laws. The days of “amateurism” and the “student-athlete” enjoying judicial and administrative deference are over. For college sports to maintain a character distinct from professional leagues, university athletic programs that …

Off The Guardrails: Opportunities And Caveats For Name Image Likeness And The [Student] Athlete Influencer, Maureen Weston

Texas A&M Law Review

The landscape of college athletics is undergoing a seismic shift with the advent of Name, Image, and Likeness (“NIL”) opportunities for student-athletes. In Off the Guardrails: Opportunities and Caveats for Name Image Likeness and the [Student] Athlete Influencer, Professor Maureen A. Weston examines the evolving terrain, tracing the journey from the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (“NCAA’s”) rigid amateurism policies to the current era of NIL legislation and its implications. This Article navigates the complex intersection of athlete empowerment, entrepreneurial ventures, and regulatory challenges, shedding light on the multifaceted opportunities and risks for athletes in the burgeoning NIL market.

Delving …

Are Collective Joint Employers Of College Athletes? Empirical Analysis Of Nil Deals And School Policies, Michael H. Leroy

Marquette Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

Rethinking College Football Grant Of Rights Agreements, Drew Thornley, John T. Holden

Marquette Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

On The Increased Prevalence Of Buyouts In College Athletics, Joshua S. Lacoste

Marquette Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

Duty, Breach, Deterrence: The Ncaa’S Legacy Of Immortalizing Competitive Glory Over The Well-Being Of The Student-Athletes It Aims To Protect, Gabi A. Grillon

Barry Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ncaa Enactment Of A Disciplinary Policy: Uniformity To Regain Institutional Legitimacy, Matteson Landau

Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review

This article examines issues surrounding decentralized disciplinary systems and inconsistent enforcement against student-athletes who engage in criminal misconduct across the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”). The NCAA recognizes the inherent conflicts of interest that arise when institutions are left to regulate their own recruiting practices. To negate these conflicts, the NCAA has established a robust disciplinary system, the NCAA Committee on Infractions, which oversees investigations into violations of NCAA Bylaws, reviews materials provided by the athlete and/or institution, and issues binding rulings which may include suspensions and fines. Yet the NCAA fails to see how the same conflict issues arise …

Fairness At The Forefront: Transgender Athlete Participation In The Olympics, Baylee Swidler

San Diego International Law Journal

This Article will examine how the IOC framework has developed over the years, focusing specifically on where it is now, and how it affects transgender athletes, cisgender athletes (athletes whose biological sex matches their gender identity), and future athletes. Players worldwide are affected differently by the decisions of each International Federation, depending on whether fairness or inclusion is prioritized. Sport at lower levels can be significantly influenced by the independent regulations of each sport federation, even for younger athletes. My proposal, rather than simply stating that reform is necessary after the implementation of the IOC 2021 framework, is instead, to …

The Deception Of Student Athlete Protection: The Failures Of The Miller-Ayala Athlete Agents Act In The Age Of Nil, Matthew R. Hand

Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Review

No abstract provided.

Student Athlete Or Student Employee? Considering The Future Implications Of Recent College-Athletics Decisions Regarding Employee Classification, Nathan Schmutz, Joseph Hanks

BYU Education & Law Journal

Nature often provides warning signs of oncoming danger. For example, a generally recognized phenomenon associated with a tidal wave caused by an oceanic earthquake is the major withdrawal of water resembling an extreme low tide. Universities take note, a similar phenomenon might be occurring in relation to college sports. Recent decisions might be signaling a receding of waters before a surge of litigation that results in college athletes being considered employees of the university. This paper considers recent court and administrative decisions that might be indicative of this major shift and discusses possible implications of such a change.

The "Wild West" Of State Nil Laws: Asking For Congress To Bail Out The Ncaa, Evan Crowder

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

This Note explores the evolution of the amateur status in college athletics, particularly the absence of a consistent definition for “amateur collegiate athlete” by the NCAA over the years. The traditional demarcation between amateur and professional athletes blurred significantly, particularly with the exponential growth of college football revenues, leading to indistinguishable time commitments for both categories. The landmark case of NCAA v. Alston marked a pivotal moment as the Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing college athletes to earn compensation for the use of their name, image, and likeness ("NIL"). This decision overturned decades of prohibiting such practices in …

College Athlete Employment Model: An “Amateur” Attempt To Resolve The Exploitation Created By The Ncaa, Ryan Brida

University of Miami Business Law Review

The college sports industry is deeply rooted within the culture of the United States. Its popularity has only grown, which has led to business opportunities and vast economic wealth for many within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”). This wealth is mainly distributed among, but not limited to, NCAA executives, conference commissioners, university presidents, coaches, and athletic directors. The individuals actually taking part in the athletic contests, the college athletes, are excluded from this list. Specifically, looking at Division I college athletes, the harsh reality is that these young men and women are participating in a billion-dollar industry and not …

Tennessee V. Nat'l Collegiate Athletic Ass'n: Contracts - Name, Image And Likeness, David Draper

Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law

No abstract provided.

Taming The Wild West: The Time Is Near For Congress To Intervene In Name, Image, And Likeness Deals For Collegiate Athletes, Bradley Kilborn Kilborn

Belmont Law Review

This note proposes a multifaceted approach for congressional intervention in the NIL market. While there are many areas needing NIL regulation in the collegiate athletic market, the most critical area of need for NIL regulation involves the collectives and directives. These entities have formed and operated without any meaningful guardrails since the NCAA permitted student-athletes to be compensated for their NIL. Additionally, they have been able to influence recruiting both at the high school recruit level and in the collegiate athlete transfer portal.

Change Is Growth: The Future Of The Ncaa And College Athletics, Conner Poulin

UNH Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Breakdown Of Where Nil Currently Stands, Justin Cavegn

UNH Sports Law Review

No abstract provided.

Who Owns Your Name? The Trend And Economic Impact Of Personal Trademarks In The Ncaa Nil Aftermath, Daniel Foster

The Journal of Business, Entrepreneurship & the Law

To aid in understanding the prevalence of personal athlete logos and the trend of ownership and design, Section II will outline the history of this area of trademark law in the United States. It will provide background on the theory of trademark ownership and the development of this intellectual property discipline in the athletic and celebrity sphere. Section II will look at the two common and distinct processes, a company-designed logo versus an athlete-designed logo, and the modern trends in this area. Moving on from this historical discussion, Section III will examine the 2021 decision of NCAA v. Alston, the …

Game Changers: Rewriting The Playbook A Sports And Entertainment Law Symposium, Brandon Posivak

Akron Law Review

Brandon Posivak gave the following remarks as part of the Akron Law Review 2023 Symposium at The University of Akron School of Law in April 2023.

Mr. Posivak graduated in May 2023 from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in Malibu, CA with Certificates in Entertainment, Media, and Sports; Dispute Resolution; and Entrepreneurship and the Law with a specialization in Entertainment, Technology, and Intellectual Property. Prior to law school he was a Division I baseball player at Lafayette College in Easton, PA and has published two books, Step on the Cracks: Reinventing Happiness, Positivity, and Optimism and Waiting for Yesterday.

Game Changers: Rewriting The Playbook - A Sports And Entertainment Law Symposium, Luke Fedlam

Akron Law Review

Attorney Luke Fedlam gave the following remarks as part of the Akron Law Review 2023 Symposium at The University of Akron School of Law in April 2023.

Attorney Fedlam is a Partner and Sports Attorney in Columbus, OH at Porter Wright Morris & Arthur. He is passionate about providing professional athletes with trusted business advice and legal counsel. Throughout his career, Attorney Fedlam’s passion has earned him honors such as Ohio Super Lawyers’ Rising Star award, Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America, and recognition as an expert and thought leader in Name, Image, & Likeness. He serves on several …

Dropping The Ball: How The Growth Of Legalized Sports Betting Threatens The Nil Rights Of Collegiate Athletes, Peter Klensch

St. John's Law Review

(Excerpt)

One of the more storied runs in college basketball history happened in 2014 when the seven-seeded University of Connecticut Huskies (“UConn”) made the Final Four and defeated the University of Kentucky Wildcats to win the Division I Men’s College Basketball Tournament. As the second-lowest seed ever to win the Tournament, the focus should have been on UConn’s celebration in Storrs, Connecticut. Instead, the national media was drawn to comments made by UConn’s star point-guard, Shabazz Napier, who said that he sometimes went to bed “starving.”

The remarks caught the immediate attention of state legislators in Connecticut. Representative Matthew Lesser …

The Current State Of Student-Athlete Nil Rights: How Congress Should Respond To The Rapidly Changing Landscape Of Inter-Collegiate Sports, Kyle Aronson

Journal of the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary

Collegiate student-athletes began signing sponsorship deals that compensate them for their name, image and likeness beginning in July 2021. Since its inception, the NCAA has prohibited student-athletes from receiving any outside monetary compensation to preserve traditional notions of amateurism. States have begun to pass legislation that allow for student-athlete compensation following recent decisions by the Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit suggesting that the NCAA’s historic practice may run afoul of antitrust law. This comment analyzes issues with the current state-by-state patchwork of laws that formulate the current landscape of collegiate sports. Finally, this comment will show why centralized, federal regulation …

In A League Of Her Own: Why Female Student-Athletes Are Poised To Win Big In The Nil Era With A Properly Crafted Federal Law, Anna G. Williams

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ncaa V. Alston (Case Notes), Carson Blakely

Tennessee Law Review

In August 2013, I was a thirteen-year-old immersed in the world of NCAA Football 14, a popular video game by Electronic Arts (EA). Through my digital replicas and the actual Tennessee Volunteer football players, my friends and I led the Vols to three consecutive BCS National Championships. My fictional character, a top running back, won three Heisman Trophies, which remains my greatest athletic accomplishment to date. Then, EA announced the discontinuation of the NCAA Football franchise, leaving millions of digital coaches, including myself, perplexed.1 Little did I know that the issue at hand was the complex legal realm of Name, …

Ncaa V. Alston, Emma S. Fowler

Tennessee Law Review

No abstract provided.