Sports Litigation Alert Current Issue

By Gary Chester, Senior Writer Fans of college sports recognize that the relationship between a head coach and a school’s boosters can resemble a rocky marriage. When the team succeeds, the relationship seems blissful. When the team fails and the boosters want a new...

By T J O’Connor, Troy University & Michael S. Carroll, PhD Background On September 8, 2023, Terrence Shannon Jr., a prominent member of the University of Illinois basketball team, and his roommates, teammate Justin Harmon, and graduate assistant Dyshon Hobson...

By Christopher Deubert, Senior Writer [Disclosure: As referenced below, I represented Scott Pearson, Kaku’s representative, in a lawsuit brought by MLS arising out of the dispute described in this article; I also represented Kaku in a separate matter in which he was a...

A Maryland state appeals court has reversed and remanded part of a lower court’s ruling involving a concussion claim brought by a former student athlete against the NCAA. Specifically, the appeals court’s ruling finds that the NCAA in subject to jurisdiction in...

An Illinois state judge has dismissed major portions of a lawsuit filed by residents of Evanston, Illinois, who sought to block the planned renovation of Northwestern University’s Ryan Field. Specifically, the court dismissed three of four counts brought by the...

By Ellen J. Staurowsky, Ed.D., Senior Writer and Professor, Sports Media, Roy H. Park School of Communications, Ithaca College staurows@ithaca.edu In a lawsuit filed against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the University System of Georgia, and...

By Kasey Havekost and Joel Nielsen, Bricker Graydon LLP Only a few days into legalized sporting gambling in Ohio last January, Anthony Grant, the head men’s basketball coach at the University of Dayton, expressed frustration in a postgame press conference that his...

By Katie V. Davis, CPA, James Moore and Kelleigh Fagan, Partner, Church Church Hittle + Antrim Revenue sharing, employees, broadcast rights, NIL – these are all frequently referenced in conversations, debates, and policies around collegiate athletics right now. ...

By Vincent M. Jones Jr. In a recent 58-page complaint dated March 18, 2024, plaintiff Reese Brantmeier (Tennis player at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) filed a class action complaint in the United States District Court of North Carolina on behalf of...

By Austin Spears Plenty of controversy has followed the legalization of sports betting in America. Apparently, the controversy is just beginning, especially in college athletics, where the prospect of college athletes making prop bets has become a flash point....

Carla Varriale-Barker, Chair of Segal McCambridge’s Sports, Recreation & Entertainment practice group, is an accomplished litigator who is at home in a courtroom, board room or classroom.  Varriale-Barker is one of, if not the only, female chair of a...

By Alec Winshel and Hugh Reynolds Harvard Law School’s Committee on Sports & Entertainment Law (CSEL) hosted its 2024 Harvard Sports Law Symposium over the last two weeks. Read our coverage of the symposium’s notable events and speakers from JSEL’s Hugh...

By Ropes & Gray litigation & enforcement partner Christopher P. Conniff and senior counsel Dennis M. Coleman, intellectual property partner Erica L. Han, and associates Chidi Oteh, Daniel Freshman, Tatum Wheeler, Estaban M. De La Torre, and Pary Godalia. Like...

The Sports Lawyers Association (SLA) has announced that Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman will receive its Michael Weiner Award of Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the association, on May 10 during its 49th Annual Conference in Baltimore. For details on the...

By Joseph M. Ricco IV The Chicago Bears are fortifying their leadership, signaling a new strategic direction with the recent hires of Krista Whitaker as Chief Legal Officer and Andrea Zopp as Senior Advisor. While the team is also making headlines for its plans to...

Hackney Publications (HP) has announced the inclusion of Fisher Phillips to its “100 Law Firms with Sports Law Practices You Need to Know About.” The firm’s practice group was recognized based on feedback from HP’ readers. In addition, the company announced that Adam...

Werner, Hoffman, Greig & Garcia has announced a sponsorship of the Miami Marlins. The law firm sees the partnership as “a significant step in its mission to support local initiatives and foster community spirit.” The decision to sponsor the Miami Marlins reflects...

The University of Virginia has promoted Jason Baum to the position of deputy athletic director for legal and regulatory affairs. Baum has been a member of the Virginia athletics department since 2014. Most recently, he has overseen the compliance department as the...