The NCAA has announced “a new era” in college sports, touting “unprecedented” benefits for student-athletes following the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California’s long-awaited approval of the $2.8 billion settlement in the House antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA and the “Power 5” conferences – the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and
NLRB Acting GC: Student-Athletes Are Not Employees
On February 18, 2025, National Labor Relations Board Acting General Counsel William Cowen rescinded a September 2021 memorandum in which former Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo declared college athletes should be considered employees under the National Labor Relations Act. This was one of many memoranda he rescinded that had been issued by his Biden-administration predecessor.…
How NCAA Changes to Transgender Policy Following President Trump’s Executive Order Impact Schools
- President Trump signed executive order “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports,” barring transgender women from competing in women’s sports and citing fairness, safety, and privacy concerns. Schools that do not comply with the new federal policy risk losing federal funding under Title IX enforcement.
- In response, the NCAA immediately revised its transgender participation policy,
Impacts of Third Circuit’s Decision on Student-Athletes as Employees
In a landmark decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit rejected the NCAA’s argument that, because student-athletes voluntarily participate in college athletics, they cannot simultaneously be students and employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
In Johnson v. NCAA, the three-judge panel stymied the NCAA’s effort to reverse the denial…
NCAA Board Approves Settlement Terms in Antitrust Lawsuits
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…
Navigating Legal Complexities of NIL Agreements: Jaden Rashada
The arrival of name, image, and likeness (NIL) agreements has transformed college athletics, offering student-athletes unprecedented opportunities to profit from their personal brands. Yet, the case of Jaden Rashada, a promising quarterback, is a cautionary tale.
When Rashada entered the 2023 college recruitment season, the NCAA had recently adopted rules allowing compensation to student-athletes for…
U.S. Senators Reintroduce Bipartisan NCAA Accountability Act
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…
New Bi-Partisan Draft Legislation on Name, Image and Likeness: The College Athletes Protection & Compensation Act
An uncommon combination of three U.S. Senators, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), collaborated to draft “The College Athletes Protection & Compensation Act” (the Act), which is the newest legislative proposal in the evolving name, image and likeness (NIL) area of college athletics.
Several other federal NIL legislation proposals have…
NCAA Introduces New Guidelines for Sports Wagering Violations
The new NCAA guidelines … recogniz[e] that college athletes may stumble and make mistakes along the way, but they should be granted
the opportunity to learn and grow.from their experiences.
Continue Reading NCAA Introduces New Guidelines for Sports Wagering Violations
Draft Bill on Name, Image, and Likeness: Uniform Standard Contract, Medical Trust, NCAA Authority
The “Protecting Athletes, Schools, and Sports Act of 2023” is draft legislation that includes new restrictions and benefits for student-athletes and booster collectives that would change the landscape of the issue of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights in the NCAA.
Expected to be proposed by Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the…