Sports Litigation Alert Current Issue

By Gary Chester, Senior Writer Hazing continues to be an unsettling problem at American institutions of higher learning. Harassment and bullying of newer student-athletes on sports teams has long been a safety issue; it prompted the NCAA to issue a hazing prevention...

By Jeff Birrren, Senior Writer Prisoners often have complaints. One, Leon M. Ager, has filed three cases against Roger Goodell and others, alleging that the NFL misappropriated his ideas concerning the Pro Bowl. His 2019 Complaint was quickly dismissed. In 2025 he was...

By William H. Gray, Senior Associate Attorney at Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney Ltd. In a significant decision addressing the scope of the NCAA's legal responsibilities to student-athletes, the Indiana Court of Appeals recently held that the NCAA owed no...

By Nicholas Stegmann and Dr. Michael S. Carroll The Montana Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling on April 22, 2026, finding that the Montana High School Association (MHSA) failed to provide a student with constitutionally sufficient due process when it denied...

By Robert E. Freeman, with Jackson Friedman, Andrew J. Rubin and Tara R. Shecter, Of Proskauer USA Weightlifting (“USAW”) flexed its legal muscle this past March when it prevailed at summary judgment in the Southern District of New York on its trademark-related...

By Ellen J. Staurowsky, Ed.D., Senior Writer, and Professor, Sports Media (retired), Roy H. Park School of Communications, Ithaca College In October of 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to consider whether employees working in federally funded schools have an...

By Takao Ohashi, Attorney at PAX Law Office (Tokyo), Professor, Kanazawa Institute of Technology Toranomon Graduate School Introduction On July 12, 2026, the Miami Marlins selected Stanford infielder Rintaro Sasaki in the eighth round (235th overall) of the MLB Draft....

By  Luca Ferrari, the Global Head of Sport at international law firm Withers, and associate Alessia Murgia. The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally affected the financial landscape of European football. With revenues reduced and transfer profits declining, clubs were...

(Editor’s note: What follows is an exclusive interview with Attorney Bernard (Bernie) Dennis, the co-lead of Jackson Lewis’ sports law practice. Unlike many firms, Jackson Lewis has had an established and committed relationship with sports for two decades, starting...

By Holt Hackney Even with all the cache of being a sports lawyer, it is still a relatively new profession. That is what makes attorneys who have spent decades helping shape the industry especially noteworthy. Greg Lee, a partner at BakerHostetler and co-leader of the...

By Gregg E. Clifton and Matthew J. Martinez, of Lewis Brisbois International student-athletes have always had to plan their immigration status around NCAA eligibility rules. Beginning September 15, 2026, many of these same student-athletes will also need to plan...

By Brandon G. Smith, Megan C. Kilduff, and Will B. Scoville, of Morgan Lewis The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be remembered for what happens on the pitch, but the tournament has also become a showcase for another kind of competition: the race for brand visibility around...

By Holt Hackney A former New Mexico Highlands University athletic director filed a federal lawsuit a couple months ago, accusing the school of discrimination, harassment and retaliation based on her sex, race and religion. The complaint, filed May 21 in U.S. District...

A Conversation with Brock Wilson, President, TSG Sports & Entertainment By Holt Hackney The contract negotiation is just the beginning. What happens to that money over the course of a career, and beyond, often determines whether an athlete's success becomes...

By Holt Hackney The Little Rock School District is taking short-term steps to address concerns about the treatment of Central High School’s softball program, including allowing the softball and baseball teams to share the school’s new baseball field during the...

Chicago Fire FC has promoted Shelby Klose to general counsel, the club announced as part of a series of leadership promotions. Klose, who shared the news in a LinkedIn post, said she was "excited and incredibly grateful" to take on the role. "I'm excited and...

By Kathy Ansarinia, D.D.S., Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry, Santa Clara School of Law I. Introduction/Background High school sports are expected to be one of the most positive parts of a student's high school experience. At the same time, contact sports like...

Penn research finds proposed TES criteria often don’t match CTE pathology at autopsy, raising concerns about misdiagnosis and potential mental health impacts for at-risk groups. Most people who met proposed clinical criteria meant to identify chronic traumatic...

Proskauer has added Jeff Pash as a partner in its Sports Group in New York. Pash served as executive vice president and general counsel of the National Football League from 1997 to 2025. In that role, he advised league leadership on legal, labor, governance and...

Greenberg Traurig, LLP represented Denver Summit FC, Colorado’s National Women’s Soccer League franchise, in the development of its training facility and interim stadium in Centennial and continues to advise the club on development of its permanent home stadium and...