The NCAA Board of Governors has voted to approve the terms of a settlement that would resolve several antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA and would require the organization to pay nearly $2.8 billion over a 10-year period to former Division I athletes and institute a revenue-sharing model between certain schools and athletes. The details of
Labor Law and Sports
Competition for Control of College-Athletes Enters New Playing Field
November 7, 2023, may become a monumental day in the history of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It is the first day of a potentially groundbreaking hearing. Region 21 of the National Labor Relations Board will be hearing a case brought by members of the football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball teams against the…
Could Leagues and Teams be Joint Employers Before the NLRB?
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to change the standard for determining if two employers may be joint employers under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The proposed rule, expected to become effective sometime in 2023, could make it more likely that professional and collegiate leagues would be…
Mississippi Student-Athletes Name, Image, and Likeness Law Awaits Governor’s Signature
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves is expected to make Mississippi the seventh state to enact name, image, and likeness (NIL) legislation.
When signed, the Mississippi Intercollegiate Athletics Compensation Rights Act will allow Mississippi student-athletes to earn endorsement compensation from the use of their name, image, and likeness and authorize their hiring and use of professional representation,…
Women’s National Soccer Team Collective Action Against USSF: Settlement, in Part
A lawsuit brought by female professional soccer players against the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) may be settled, partly.
In 2019, female professional soccer players on the United States Senior Women’s National Team, including well-known players like Megan Rapinoe, filed a collective action in federal court in California alleging the USSF violated the players’ rights…
Supreme Court Allows DOJ to Join Oral Argument in Alston Case
The U.S. Supreme Court has announced that it would allow the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to became an additional presenter during the landmark case, NCAA v. Alston, which is set for oral argument on March 31, 2021.
The Alston case arises out of consolidated appeals from the NCAA and several high-level conferences in…
UPDATE: Sixth Federal NIL Bill Proposed by Kansas Senator Jerry Moran; Senator Booker Comments on Status of College Athlete Bill of Rights
Amateur Athletes Protection and Compensation Act.
The Amateur Athletes Protection and Compensation Act of 2021 (Protection Act), the sixth federal proposal governing student-athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights, has been introduced U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS). Senator Moran’s legislation combines aspects of prior partisan legislation proposed by both Republican and Democratic legislators.
The Protection…
Senator Murphy Introduces Additional Federal Name, Image, and Likeness Legislation
An additional federal legislative proposal regarding college athlete name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights has been introduced on Capitol Hill. The Bill, known as the College Athlete Economic Freedom Act (“Freedom Act”), is authored by Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) a leading advocate and author on college athlete rights and U.S. Representative Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), a…
Will Acting General Counsel Ohr’s Appointment Lead To NCAA Athletes Becoming Eligible To Unionize?
President Joe Biden has named Peter Sung Ohr to serve as Acting General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB or Board). Ohr has served as the Regional Director of the NLRB Chicago office for nearly a decade.
While the Regional Director, Ohr is best remembered in the world of collegiate sports for his…
Major League Soccer To Exercise Force Majeure Clause To Reopen Negotiations With Its Players To Address COVID-19 Financial Realities
Major League Soccer (MLS) has informed the MLS Players Association that it intends to exercise the force majeure clause that was recently added to the parties’ collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to negotiate additional contract modifications in good faith for 30 days. If a new agreement is not reached during the 30 day period, the league…