Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker plan to formally introduce legislation, the “College Athlete Pandemic Safety Act,” to eliminate the ability of colleges and universities to use liability waivers as a basis for student-athletes to return to campus and resume training activities. Reacting to the growing number of schools, including Ohio … Continue Reading
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is requiring athletic departments at all NCAA levels to plan for their fall 2020 athletic schedules while taking all necessary steps to keep their athletes safe. In addition to requiring its returning football players to submit to a COVID-19 test, Ohio State University has asked all the players on their football … Continue Reading
To support the Trump Administration’s COVID-19 reopening policies, Chad F. Wolf, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, signed an order exempting some foreign professional athletes (and their staff and dependents) who compete in certain leagues, from the COVID-19 travel restrictions that are in place for 30 countries: China, Iran, Ireland, the U.K, and the 26 … Continue Reading
Following the cancelation of the winter sports championships and the calendar of spring athletic events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA is hoping to reset for the 2020-2021 academic year with a full slate of college football and other fall sports in September. While the NCAA and its members have been focused on student-athlete … Continue Reading
The NCAA Division I Council has rejected the efforts of the leaders of five Division I Conferences (the American Athletic, Mountain West, Mid-American, Sun Belt, and Conference USA conferences) who collectively had asked the NCAA for a blanket waiver on behalf of 27 of the 32 NCAA Division I conferences to eliminate its current requirement … Continue Reading
Even as some states claim the immediate effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is starting to plateau, the potential financial impact of the pandemic on college athletics is just starting to emerge. As college and universities assess potential budget shortfalls as a result of the $375-million loss of their portion of revenue distribution following the cancellation … Continue Reading
Out of the uncertainty and chaos of the cancellation of the NCAA Winter championships and Spring seasons caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, digital and social media leaders at a small group of 50 schools came together to launch the #UnitedAsOne campaign to show unity and support for all student-athletes in college sports. In less … Continue Reading
On March 11, 2020, the National Basketball Association (NBA) suspended its season due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Now, the League is considering reducing or withholding players’ salaries after the April 1, 2020, payday. The NBA originally hoped to resume its season at some point in June, possibly without fans in attendance. However, as COVID-19 … Continue Reading
The NCAA Division I Council has voted to allow schools to permit spring sport student-athletes an additional season of competition and an extension of their five-year period of athletic eligibility on account of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While it had previously announced that it would consider and potentially adopt modifications, changes, or waivers to current … Continue Reading
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has silenced all major sports leagues. Instead of the anticipated opening of the 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season during the last week of March, MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) announced agreement on the specific terms governing the potential beginning of a coronavirus delayed start to the … Continue Reading
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has severely affected the world of college sports. Division I conferences canceled their conference tournaments and the NCAA announced it would not be holding NCAA basketball championships this season, ending March Madness. COVID-19’s impact, however, did not stop there. The NCAA issued a division-wide “dead period” on recruiting through April 15, … Continue Reading
The recent surge of the COVID-19 pandemic and its catastrophic effect on worldwide events has put the standard contract clause, “force majeure,” in new light. A force majeure clause, French for “superior force,” is a negotiated contract provision that allows either party to a contract to suspend or terminate the performance of its personal contractual … Continue Reading
While colleges, universities, and student-athletes across the country continue to react to the ramifications of the sudden and unprecedented cancellation of the NCAA National Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship, as well as cancellation of the collegiate spring sports competitive seasons for sports (including baseball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, softball, and men’s volleyball), the NCAA has … Continue Reading
As the world responds to COVID-19/Coronavirus, the world of professional and amateur sports is responding as well. The virus had already has begun impacting the sports world and its impact with likely increase. The spread of the virus throughout the United States has led to growing concerns about sporting games and events. As a result, … Continue Reading
In our continuing effort to inform and update our blog readers, we are providing the following update regarding the impact of the coronavirus and collegiate athletics. As a result of further developments relating to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the various newly announced Ivy League campus policies and potential limitations on practices and … Continue Reading
