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Paul Kelly is a principal in the Boston office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He has extensive experience in white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, NCAA enforcement investigations and infractions cases, and complex civil litigation. Paul chairs both the Collegiate and Professional Sports industry group and the White Collar and Government Enforcement resource group at the firm.

Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn (R) and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker (D) have reintroduced the “NCAA Accountability Act.”  This follows multiple hearings held over the past few years on NCAA operations, including how the NCAA handles investigations and enforcement of its bylaws.

The bipartisan bill seeks to enhance due process protections for intercollegiate athletic programs

A national survey concerning sports betting among young adults between the ages of 18 and 22 commissioned by new NCAA President Charlie Baker indicates that an increasing number of young adults across the country are wagering on sports. The fact that 31 states have passed laws legalizing sport wagering and online sportsbook companies are flooding

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors has adopted key changes to the way in which NCAA infractions matters will investigated and processed in the future. The changes, which take effect on January 1, 2023, are intended to modernize and enhance the process, while focusing resources on the most serious violations. Another objective is to

The “New York Collegiate Athletic Participation Compensation Act” (S.5891-F/A.5115-E) allows New York college athletes to receive compensation for their name, image, and likeness (NIL) without losing their scholarships or eligibility. It also allows these players to use an attorney or agent for business deals without punishment.

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The NCAA Division I Board of Directors has approved new guidance clarifying how schools can engage with student-athletes in the constantly evolving name, image, and likeness (NIL) arena on their campuses.

The NCAA first implemented the Interim NIL Policy on July 1, 2021. In November 2021, the NCAA released a Q&A document, which declared that

Inaction in Face of Sexual Assault Allegation

A 20-year-old player in the Chicago Blackhawks organization, Kyle Beach, filed a lawsuit against the team in May 2021 alleging he was sexually assaulted by the team’s video coordinator in May 2010, while the team was involved in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The senior management of the Blackhawks,

Major League Baseball has asked a California federal court to dismiss a proposed class action claim that accuses the league of failing to sufficiently protect spectators with safety netting. Brought in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Gail Payne et al. v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball et al., 4:15-cv-03229,

Peter Sung Ohr, the Regional Director for Region 13 of the National Labor Relations Board issued a Decision and Direction of Election pertaining to the effort of the Northwestern University football players to unionize. The Regional Director found that scholarship football players at Northwestern University are “employees” within the meaning of the National Labor Relations