Sports Litigation Alert Current Issue
Here’s the latest issue of Sports Litigation Alert, the nation’s only subscription-based periodical reporting on the intersection of sports and the law. We also publish 11 other sports law periodicals. Visit hackneypublications.com to learn more.

Case Summaries
Yet Another JUCO Eligibility Lawsuit Adds to the Chaos that Is Intercollegiate Sports
By Gary Chester, Senior Writer The Sports Litigation Alert recently summarized the lawsuit of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who obtained a preliminary injunction to prevent the NCAA from enforcing its rule stating that a year of junior college sports...
Women Athlete Claims of Sex Discrimination Under Title IX at the University of Oregon Allowed to Proceed
By Ellen J. Staurowsky, Senior Writer, and Professor, Sports Media, Ithaca College, staurows@ithaca.edu In honor of the 50th anniversary of the enactment of Title IX in June of 2022, the University of Oregon (UO) athletics department announced that it was launching a...
Sunken Claims — Louisiana Court Dismisses Former Swimmer’s Concussion Suit Against Tulane
By Oliver Canning The Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal recently upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by former Tulane University swimmer Ashley Carollo, who claimed the school was responsible for injuries she sustained during a 2021 swim practice. Carollo...
The Federal Limits of Transgender Rights in School Sports
By Dr. Kwangho Park (Assistant Professor, The Citadel - The Military College of South Carolina or Troy University) D.N.(Plaintiff), a 16-year-old high school student residing in Broward County, Florida, is a transgender girl who has identified and lived as female...
Court Sides with High School Wrestler in Altercation with Spectators
By Dr. John Wendt There is no question that Anthony Knox, Jr. is a very special high school wrestler. Competing for Saint John Vianney High School (SJV) in New Jersey, he has consistently been ranked as number one in the country in the 126-pound class for four...
Articles
Emporia State Women’s Soccer Coach Alleges Title IX & First Amendment Violations after Firing
By Erica J. Zonder & Emily J. Houghton On December 23, 2024 Bryan Sailer, the former women’s soccer coach, filed a complaint against Emporia State University (ESU) and Athletic Director David Spafford seeking a remedy for gender equity complaints in...
U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice Team Up to Create Special Title IX Investigations Unit Focusing on Gender Identity Policies in Schools
By Ellen J. Staurowsky, Ed.D., Senior Writer and Professor, Sports Media, Ithaca College staurows@ithaca.edu On April 4, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the creation of a “Title IX Special Investigations...
Another Lawsuit Filed Against the NCAA – This Time by a Former D1 Head Football Coach
By Robert J. Romano, JD, LLM, St. John’s University, Senior Writer On March 26, 2025, former University of Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt filed a civil lawsuit seeking upwards of $100 million in the Circuit Court of Dekalb County, Alabama against the...
Are You Sure You Want To Work For A Sports Team?
By Christopher R. Deubert, Senior Writer For many people, working for a professional sports team would be a dream come true. Polls generally show that around 70% of Americans identify as a sports fan. Understandably then, many seek to combine their...
Schaffer Navigates a Successful Transition from NFL Team GC to the Auto Racing World
A couple years ago, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announced the hiring of sports lawyer Eric Schaffer to its leadership team. Having spent almost 20 years in a leadership capacity with Washington’s NFL team, most recently as its Senior Vice President of Football Operations...
Equestrian Events and SafeSport Jurisdiction; Derek Strine’s Challenges to the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Jurisdiction and Policies
By Clare E. Maness, JD Since Congress enacted 36 U.S.C. § 220541 in 2018 and designated the U.S. Center for SafeSport as the United States’ national safe-sport organization (Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, 2018),...
Deion Sanders v. NCAA: Formal Push for Joint Spring Game Falls Short
By Joseph Michael Ricco IV Colorado and Syracuse recently teamed up to try something college football has never allowed before: a joint spring game between two Division I programs. The idea, led by Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, was meant to bring more structure...
Saul Ewing Attorney Discusses Legal Expertise at the Intersection of Esports and Intellectual Property
(Editor’s Note: The following appeared in Esports and the Law.) At Saul Ewing, Tami Carmichael provides strategic legal advice to clients on advertising and branding initiatives, both when they launch and commercialize new ventures, as well as throughout the growth...
The Blocking of International Student-Athletes from Earning NIL Opportunities in College Athletics
By Connor T. Bean Introduction In recent years, the landscape of college athletics has seen a massive change due to recent developments. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) now allows student-athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL)...
Atlantic Sun Conference Announces Integrated Strategic Partnership with Bricker Graydon
The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) has announced a comprehensive partnership with Bricker Graydon LLP. The partnership will serve as a resource for the ASUN and its membership, assisting with innovative and adaptable strategies in the modernization of college...
Porter Wright Partner Brings His Sports Law Practice to Amundsen Davis
Amundsen Davis LLC, a leading Midwest law firm, has announced that Luke A. Fedlam has joined the firm as partner in its Entertainment, Sports & Media Service Group. The firm contends Fedlam's "deep understanding of the intersection of corporate law and the sports...
Beyond Logos: Trademark Strategies for Unique Stadium Features of Sports Teams
By Justin Kouyoumdjian, 3L, Santa Clara Law School Fans of the National Football League will agree that the Minnesota Vikings’ “Skol” chant has evolved into one of the most recognizable and iconic traditions in the sport.[1] Rooted in Scandinavian history, the “Skol”...
Nearly 4 of 10 Americans Report Sports-Related Mistreatment
Nearly 40% of adult Americans say they’ve experienced some type of sport-related mistreatment in their lives, a new study shows. Mistreatment ranged from psychological and emotional to physical and sexual. But most people who reported mistreatment experienced more...
Study Reveals Surge in Gambling Addiction Following Legalization of Sports Betting
A new study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine and led by researchers from the University of California San Diego Qualcomm Institute and School of Medicine, reveals a dramatic increase in sports betting and gambling addiction help-seeking since the...
News Briefs
Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Adds Sports Lawyer Jill Bodensteiner as Board Member
The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics has announced that Jill Bodensteiner has joined the organization as a board member. Bodensteiner is in her seventh year as Vice President and Director of Athletics at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, after...
LawVu Recognized in the 2025 Gartner® Market Guide
LawVu, which unifies the legal workspace, has been recognized by Gartner as a Representative Vendor in the Market Guide for the second year running. The honor reinforces the company’s reputation for delivering critical capabilities and market-leading innovation to...
The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Adds Sports Lawyer as Board Member
The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics has announced that Jill Bodensteiner has joined the organization as a board member. Bodensteiner is in her seventh year as Vice President and Director of Athletics at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, after...