Photo credit: USA Today So after months of debate, a massive investigation, a three day hearing and 24 - repeat TWENTY-FOUR - civil suits alleging sexual harassment and assault by Deshaun Watson, NFL disciplinary officer Sue L. Robinson concluded in 15 pages that Watson's conduct deserved only a paltry 6 game suspension. Robinson's justification for... Continue Reading →
The UB Law Sports Forum will publish a series of posts in commemoration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX starting Sunday, June 19th. The articles, written by UB Sports Law students, cover a number of aspects of Title IX ranging from pay discrepancies to transgender issues. It is important to... Continue Reading →
"It only took this long?" That was the reaction of my teenage daughter to the news that US Women's Soccer has FINALLY achieved its objective of equal pay with the men's team. The great news: the US Women's & Men's Soccer Teams have each ratified a collective bargaining agreement that actually does provide equality in... Continue Reading →
Congratulations to our 2022 UB Sports Law graduates on their commencement day! This very special group not only survived law school in a pandemic, they flourished. Their efforts helped further strengthen our Sports Law program with innovative virtual events featuring speakers such as Harvard Basketball Coach Tommy Amaker, Stanford Women's Basketball Coach Tara VanDerveer, and... Continue Reading →
The long awaited disclosure of terms for the public-private partnership investment into a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills brought a collective sigh of relief to fans across Western New York this morning. After NFL owners voted unanimously to approve a $200 million loan to the Bills as part of a funding package of $1.4... Continue Reading →
Image credit: USA Today Finally, a court of law will decide the most important issue in the history of collegiate athletics: are students who participate in college varsity sports employees? The term "student-athlete" was coined by the NCAA in the 1950s to ward off potential workers' compensation claims by student-athletes. Over time, the phrase became... Continue Reading →
It has finally happened. After months of conjecture, debate and then a lengthy period of silence, several minor league baseball clubs that were eliminated as part of MLB’s restructuring have filed suit against MLB under the anti-trust laws. As a professor of sports law, one of my favorite topics is MLB’s historic anti-trust decision... Continue Reading →
So, historically, the key to determining the extent of an individual's right to free speech under the First Amendment has been the classic example that one cannot "shout fire in a crowded theatre". The social media analogy to that now is the use of a public platform to spew false, discredited and completely erroneous information... Continue Reading →
Unbelievable. Every time I think we have encountered a new low in the continuing fight for diversity, equity and inclusion in sports, it seems there is another unconscionable incident. Think the women's NCAA field hockey contest stopped in OT because of a fireworks display on an adjoining field for the football team. Or the continuing... Continue Reading →
