All posts tagged: NIL

So You Want To Be A Sports Lawyer?

I receive a lot of inquiries from law students, recent graduates, and even senior lawyers asking for advice about breaking into sports law. Many of these messages come from students and lawyers from other states who follow me on social media or who have attended panels or seminars where I served as a featured speaker. It is truly humbling. I am always open to talking with anyone in the legal profession who shares my passion for sports law and the commitment to the analytical, negotiation, and drafting skills that this practice area demands. But the harsh reality is that getting a job in sports law is often not based on merit alone. The selection process is heavily weighted towards relationships and prior experience. Everyone wants in on sports; practicing in this area brings with it a certain “cool” factor. People will work harder to be a sports lawyer, many will take a pay cut just get in the door. But getting those jobs are often based just as much on good timing and personal contacts …

A Seismic Shift with an Unstable Foundation: The NCAA House Settlement Under Scrutiny

The NCAA’s $2.8 billion settlement in House v. NCAA marks a seismic shift in college athletics. For decades, the NCAA denied college athletes the right to earn any money from their participation in sports, arguing that doing so would undermine the “amateurism” model of college athletics even as it raked in massive revenue—$1 billion annually from “March Madness” alone. Accepting a slice of pizza or a ride to the airport from a coach could be deemed an impermissible “extra benefit” that landed the athlete in hot water with NCAA enforcement staff. Even when their images were used to sell video games, the NCAA made money, their school made money, and the producer of the video game made money—but the athlete could not be paid a dime. The House settlement, reached because of massive damages that the association faced from lawsuits under the antitrust laws that threatened its very existence, changed the landscape completely. Schools can now share up to $20.5 million of their annual athletic revenue from media rights deals, ticket sales, and sponsorships directly …