On September 7th, Kent State officials stopped a D1 field hockey contest as it was about to begin double overtime in order to allow sufficient preparation for a daytime fireworks display prior to a football game. The outcry, including from this corner, was fast and furious. Ultimately, Kent State issued an apology to the two... Continue Reading →
NCAA v. California? There is Some Precedent
Photo: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports So, for over twenty years now I have been teaching sports law, and THE case in Sports Law I has been NCAA v. Tarkanian, 488 U.S. 179 (1988). Generations of law students have been required to memorize the holding (the NCAA is NOT a state actor, and therefore not... Continue Reading →
Kent State Apologizes . . .
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association condemned Saturday's events: “The optics and the messaging to every field hockey program and to every field hockey player are that while they matter, they don't matter more than pre-game football festivities,” the statement reads. “We see this as a terrible message being communicated to female student-athletes in this... Continue Reading →
Fireworks Ensue after D1 Field Hockey Forced to Yield the Field
Google Earth Pro image of Murphy-Mellis Field, home of Kent State Field Hockey Disrespectful. Infuriating. Grossly unfair. Just plain wrong. The messages from my five daughters and former students poured in as news spread of an inconceivable happening at Kent State this weekend. Apparently, an extraordinarily hard-fought D1 women’s field hockey contest between Temple and... Continue Reading →
Farewell and thank you to a UB Icon
The UB Sports Law community wishes a fond farewell and best wishes to Senior Associate Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator Kathy Twist. Kathy, who was an early champion of the concept of the Center for the Advancement of Sport, has had a long, illustrious career at UB. Among her many accomplishments, she was coach of the... Continue Reading →
In Memoriam: Matt Benedict
Professor Nellie Drew, Director - UB Center for the Advancement of SportLast week, the UB Sports Law community was devastated by the loss of one of its most vibrant, enthusiastic members. Matt Benedict, a second year law student, died suddenly on July 1st. The photo above shows Matt, on the far right, with some of... Continue Reading →
SKIP DAY: WATCH THE US WOMEN’S SOCCER MATCH!
U.S. Women's Soccer is imploring Americans to skip work Friday at 3 pm to watch their epic match against host nation France. Step up, America. This is a big deal. Their plea: "We kindly ask that you give every employee the day so that they can eat a hearty lunch, get emotionally ready, bust out... Continue Reading →
Derby Winner Disqualified; Dark Horse Wins by Default
Maximum Security Photo Credit: USA Today In a first, the apparent winner of The Kentucky Derby, Maximum Security, the favorite at 4-1, was disqualified for interference. As Maximum Security came around the final turn, the horse reacted to the crowd noise, according to jockey Luis Saez. Maximum Security briefly veered off his lane on the... Continue Reading →
Thank you, Bulls!
Thank you so much to our women's and men's Bulls basketball teams for a wonderful experience this season! After gallant efforts, the women's team fell to UConn and the men's team lost to Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament. But what a season we had! We won't forget 2018-2019 anytime soon, and we look forward... Continue Reading →
THE NCAA APPEALS THE JENKINS DECISION; WHAT’S NEXT?
On Friday, as March Madness was in full swing, the NCAA filed an appeal of the Jenkins decision explored more fully in a previous post. Donald Remy, the NCAA's chief legal officer, issued the following statement: “The NCAA’s longstanding commitment, supported by its schools and conferences, is to provide student-athletes with the educational benefits they need... Continue Reading →