Sports Litigation Alert Current Issue

By Jeff Birren, Senior Writer Charles Oakley and James Dolan are classic “don’t invite ‘ems.” Oakley once played for the New York Knicks. The Dolan family owns Madison Square Garden (“MSG”), and Dolan is its CEO. MSG owns the Knicks and Rangers, and Dolan is the...

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 Professor Robert J. Romano, JD, LLM, St. John’s University, Senior Writer On October 18, 2021, Washington State University (WSU) terminated its then head football coach, Nick Rolovich, ‘for cause.’ The reason, or cause, was because Coach Rolovich failed to comply...

By Charlotte Smith, Partner, and Adam Melling, Associate, in the Employment & Sport teams at Walker Morris On 4 October 2024, the European Court of Justice (‘CJEU’) handed down a critical preliminary ruling – the Diarra ruling – on several provisions governing the...

A North Carolina state appeals court has affirmed the ruling of a lower court for defendant Lenoir-Rhyne University in a case where student-athletes and a team manager for the women's basketball team alleged that the school violated its contractual obligation to the...

Justin B. Kozubal, Ph.D. and Michael S. Carroll, Ph.D. Introduction: In 2024, a group of volleyball players filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado alleging that the inclusion of a transgender athlete on the San Jose State University...

By Adam R. Bialek and Dara Elpren, of Wilson Elser For many years, college athletes fought for the right to license their name, image, and likeness (NIL) while keeping their amateur status and participating in college athletics. Since the NCAA conceded and allowed...

 ‘Misinterpretation of Title IX’ By Professor Robert J. Romano, JD, LLM, St. John’s University, Senior Writer In reversing its current policy which allowed in most instances for transgender student-athletes to compete in sanctioned events based upon their gender...

Dr. John Wendt To say that Iowa High School Wrestling competition is “intense” is an understatement.  The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) describes Iowa as “Wrestling’s Home and Heartbeat.”[1]  The ISHAA goes on to say, “At the center of...

By Christopher R. Deubert, Senior Writer During the week of March 24, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit will hear oral argument on the NFL’s position that the entirety of the racial discrimination lawsuit filed by coach Brian Flores...

By Joseph M. Ricco IV Former Wisconsin football player Xavier Lucas has sparked a legal and NCAA compliance debate after transferring to the University of Miami without entering the transfer portal. His decision challenges existing transfer policies and could set a...

Two female high school athletes from California, K.S. and T.S., along with their families, and the Save Girls’ Sports association, have filed an amended federal lawsuit against the State of California, Riverside Unified School District, and school officials. The...

Hackney Publications announced today a client referral program, leveraging 25 years of editing and publishing experience in the sports law field to pair potential legal clients with sports lawyers. Those “friends of Hackney Publications,” defined as subscribers and...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) have announced a settlement of their dispute regarding HISA’s fee assessment methodology. As a result of the settlement, NYRA will withdraw from the litigation...

By Christopher R. Deubert, Senior Writer In 2021, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) released a Policy on Transgender Athletes which generally permits athletes to participate in the league provided their testosterone levels are within the normal ranges of...

(Editor’s Note: What follows is an excerpt from More Than Play: How Law, Policy, and Politics Shape American Youth Sport, published by the University of California Press and written by Dionne Koller, Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Sport and the...

Littler has announced the addition of three shareholders to its Washington, D.C. office. Daniel Nash, Stacey Eisenstein, and Nathan Oleson join from Akin Gump, each with a focus on labor and employment issues impacting the professional and collegiate sports industry....

O’Melveny has announced that Benjamin Aronson, former Vice President and Assistant General Counsel at the National Basketball Association, has joined the New York office as a partner in the firm’s General Litigation Practice Group and Entertainment, Sports & Media...

A new NCAA survey of the gambling behaviors of more than 20,000 student-athletes has provided an in-depth view into how the quickly changing sports betting landscape in the U.S. is impacting those who play NCAA sports.  Even with the proliferation of legal sports...

People who suffer from continued symptoms of concussion should seek a referral to physical therapy as soon as possible, new research from Oregon Health & Science University suggests. Even though most people naturally recover from concussions within four weeks, the...

Spencer Fane LLP has announced the hire of sports lawyer Brian Schoenborn to its Corporate and Business Transactions practice group. Based in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Schoenborn has deep expertise at the intersection of business law and estate planning. In addition to...

University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business Professor Emeritus of Ethics and Business Law Dr. John Wendthas been selected to serve as a Judge for the international Sports Law Arbitration Moot (SLAM). The SLAM is a world-class competition with the aim to...

Jim Solano, a legend in the sports agency industry, a philanthropist in the community, professor and loving family man died peacefully at his home on January 26 surrounded by family. He was 81 years old.  Jim received his BS, MBA and MS in Taxation degrees from...