Horizon League Tabs Attorney as Commissioner

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The Horizon League Board of Directors announced last week the selection of Julie Roe Lach as Commissioner effective January 1, 2021.

Roe Lach has served as the Deputy Commissioner for the Horizon League since 2014 overseeing strategic and financial planning, League governance and television and sponsorship management. Her responsibilities also included men’s basketball oversight, including forging a partnership with the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Events Center to host the Horizon League Basketball Championship at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum for the 2020-22 seasons.

Current Commissioner, Jonathan B. LeCrone, will move to a new role as Advisor to the Commissioner on the same date.

“On behalf of the Board, I am delighted that Julie has agreed to be our next Commissioner,” said Mark Mone, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Horizon League Chairman of the Board. “She is the perfect successor to Jon and brings extremely strong credentials and a vision to take the Horizon League to new heights in student-athlete support and basketball prominence. We are grateful to Jon, Julie and our Board for their work in executing our succession plan. The process has been both collaborative and strategic.”

“I owe a special thanks to Jon for hiring me and helping me prepare for this role and I’m also grateful to our Board of Directors for their trust and confidence in me to lead the League,” said Roe Lach. “The Horizon League’s campus administrators, coaches, staff and student-athletes are some of the most committed individuals I’ve had the privilege of working with over the course of my career in college sports. I’m excited to work to ensure we realize our vision of developing our student-athletes to their full potential while competing on the national stage.”

“This is an important and exciting moment in the life of our League,” said LeCrone. “I look forward to supporting Julie in her new role. The Office of Commissioner will be in incredibly capable hands, and it has been my privilege and pleasure to have served in the role of Commissioner since 1992.”

Roe Lach has been involved with college athletics for 20 years. Prior to the Horizon League, Lach worked at the NCAA for over 15 years, most recently serving as the vice president of enforcement from October 2010 to February 2013. After leaving the NCAA, Julie founded JRL Consulting which merged with Church Church Hittle + Antrim (CCHA) Collegiate Consulting where she currently serves as Managing Principal and Of Counsel with the CCHA Sports Law practice.

LeCrone has served as Commissioner of the Horizon League since 1992. His nearly 30 years of leadership have resulted in an expanded membership, improved League championship events and a stable financial base. He also brought the conference greater national recognition by overseeing the rebranding of the conference from the Midwestern Collegiate Conference to the Horizon League.

Known for being an innovator, LeCrone spearheaded the development of the Horizon League Network, the first collegiate digital platform, paving the way for the rise of additional conference digital networks, while becoming one of the first conferences to fully deliver its digital inventory to ESPN. He launched the Women’s Leadership Symposium and joined three other conferences with ESPN in debuting Bracket Busters. LeCrone’s leadership also extended to the national level through his involvement with several NCAA committees, including the Men’s Basketball Committee and Division I Leadership Council.

More Than 25,000 Sign Petition Requesting NCAA, Big Ten Investigate Ohio State’s Sexual Abuse Cover-up

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NCAA and Big Ten officials are being asked once more to commence an investigation of Ohio State’s decades-long cover-up of Dr. Richard Strauss’s sexual abuse of nearly 1,500 students and student-athletes.

Last week, nearly 200 Strauss survivors and student-athletes requested that the NCAA and Big Ten Conference launch an investigation to hold Ohio State accountable for failures that harmed young countless athletes and that threaten student-athletes today.

At the same time, survivors launched a petition at Change.org asking for public support. It has already been signed by more than 25,000 and that number appears to be climbing steadily.

The change.org petition alleges that Ohio State is being dismissive of survivors by refusing to take accountability for its actions. Survivors point to Michigan State’s settlement with survivors of Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse as an example of what OSU should be doing.

One of the survivors who signed the letters is calling on the public, and Ohio State alumni in particular, to urge the NCAA and Big Ten to investigate OSU. “It’s been well over two years since the Strauss scandal unfolded and the first of many lawsuits was filed against OSU,” Strauss survivor and two-time All-American Mike Schyck said. “But the university continues to try to have our lawsuits dismissed. We need justice so we can heal and move on with our lives.”

Many petition-signers agree with Schyck.

One wrote, “This isn’t the kind of thing that can go ignored. OSU needs to understand that.”

Yet another said, “The NCAA has an obligation to protect student-athletes. Understanding this cover-up is key to preventing anything like this from happening again.”

The NCAA and Big Ten is being asked to ensure that large-scale, long-time sexual abuse does not happen again at any Big Ten or NCAA-member institution by holding OSU accountable, much like they did with Penn State. In 2012, the NCAA fined Penn State $60 million for covering up coach Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse and the Big Ten fined them $13 million.

Any financial sanctions imposed by the NCAA and Big Ten would be “used to establish a Victims Assistance Fund for student-athletes of sexual abuse and sexual assault,” the survivors’ letters said. “We also want them to establish rules and practices that would prevent anything like this from ever happening again and we want OSU held accountable, so other institutions learn that covering up sexual abuse comes with a high price,” says Schyck.

Florida AD Says Student Athletes Will Undergo ‘Full Cardiac Evaluation’ Upon Return

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University of Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin sent a COVID Update out this morning to the “Gator Nation” about the football program, which was forced to cancel its game with LSU last weekend and Missouri this weekend because of the virus.

“Not only have the Gators Sports Health Staff continued telehealth appointments with the players and staff affected, but our Nutrition Staff has been delivering food to our student-athletes. Our Academic Advising Unit has also been virtually assisting our student-athletes during this time.

“And most importantly, before the student-athletes who were affected return, they will complete a full cardiac evaluation. They will also have a complete medical evaluation before returning to activity.”

Protecting Athletes from Predators – Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act Gains Momentum

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Athletes for Equity in Sport (“AES”) announced yesterday that it supports the action of the U.S. Congress in passing S. 2330, the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020.

“This action by Congress provides significant financial and institutional support to all Olympic and Paralympic Sport athletes by providing further protections from sexual predation and by enhancing oversight of the process currently in use through the various Governing Bodies of sports, and The U.S. Center for SafeSport.

“There have been numerous situations where athletes’ complaints have languished without action, and others where complaints resulted in summary punishment without any fair and equitable investigation or exercise of rights afforded to those impacted. AES sees both behaviors as counter-productive to the protection of the athletes and furtherance of the principles of fair and honorable sports participation.

“The new appropriations by Congress provide a necessary stream of funding to allow full and fair investigations, and where warranted, other appropriate actions to protect all participating or affected athletes as the original Congressional action to authorize SafeSport anticipated. It is a strong statement by our legislators that the horrific behaviors that were associated with the 2017 gymnastics scandal (Nasser) should never recur.

“Athletes should not be ignored when they express fear and concern, and Governing Body (NGB or LAO) administrations and related entities should not be sheltered when they fail to take action on reports resulting in father harm to those they are supposed to protect. In this context, the oversight implied by the funding and other provisions of S 2330 strengthen the safeguards for athletes and will supply much needed equity and fairness to all involved.”

Wake Forest Athletics Partners with Spry for Name, Image, and Likeness Compliance Management

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Following last week’s announcement detailing Wake Forest Athletics “STRIDE” initiative, Wake Forest Athletics has announced its partnership with Spry to help its compliance and administrative staff, and student-athletes stay compliant with NCAA rules with regards to the emerging and rapidly changing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) landscape.

“We are honored to partner with Spry,” Director of Athletics John Currie said. “Name Image Likeness presents unique challenges for our staff and University to ensure we are able to manage everything internally as it relates to this legislation. With that, Spry and the product it has designed will be crucial for our staff to help us track and manage everything internally as it relates to this legislation.”

“I’m thrilled to partner with Wake Forest to develop a comprehensive technical NIL solution.  NIL is a complex ecosystem with various stakeholders, each of which has competing objectives,” Spry CEO Lyle Adams said. “We (Spry and Wake Forest) will attempt to bring structure to this chaotic environment by building intuitive tools and products that ensure visibility and accountability while allowing student-athletes to maximize their NIL opportunities. Spry enables NIL management without the paperwork and administrative tasks that could inundate athletic departments and student-athletes. Wake Forest is a leader in collegiate athletics, and I commend them for being strategic with their NIL plan.”

Spry Payment Systems, Inc. (Spry) is a third-party technology solution designed to navigate the rapidly changing Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) landscape. With a focus on more than just connecting student-athletes with sponsors and brands, the Spry system helps member institutions and student-athletes stay compliant with NCAA rules while helping student-athletes maximize their opportunities.

Major League Soccer Announces Steps to Combat Racism and Increase Black Representation

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Major League Soccer today unveiled a series of initiatives to combat racism, advocate for social justice and increase representation in the sport. The new programs, which include the formation of a Diversity Committee consisting of members of the MLS Board of Governors, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, representatives of the Black Players For Change (BPC), and other members of the soccer community, are the result of several months of discussions with key stakeholders across the league, including a recent meeting between the MLS Board and the BPC.
“Major League Soccer is committed to utilizing our wide-ranging platforms to create meaningful programs to address racism and social injustice in society and in the sport of soccer,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber.  “Importantly, alongside key stakeholders, including MLS owners, Black Players For Change, former players, Black members of our technical staff and other employees, we have created a series of initiatives to close the representation gap across soccer in the U.S. and Canada.”
The MLS league office, along with the MLS Board of Governors and member clubs, have committed to the following initiatives:
  • MLS Diversity Committee – The creation of this group, which will be part of the formal MLS committee structure, will include MLS owners, BPC leadership, club executives, head coaches, academy coaches, former MLS players and members of Pitch Black, a resource group of Black employees from MLS’ league office. Among the committee’s goals will be to work with the league to develop a strategy toward diversity, inclusion, opportunity and social justice, including supporting and championing the proposed initiatives.
  • Civic Engagement Initiative – MLS will use league resources to address issues of public concern among marginalized communities. Areas of focus will include the recently created MLS Unites to Vote initiative, along with turnkey programs that encourage community participation in civic activities.
  • Soccer Upward Mobility Initiative – MLS will provide access, exposure, and clearly defined career paths that develop talent from underrepresented groups.  This initiative will include developing pathways of entrance and advancement for emerging and current talent, in addition to creating policies and an educational ecosystem to increase Black representation in executive and sporting positions at the league office, the member clubs and other North American soccer organizations.
  • Youth and Grassroots Community Initiative – MLS will use league resources to close the representation gap across the broad spectrum of the sport in North America with the goal of increasing participation and opportunity for members of underserved communities. This initiative will include collaborating with MLS NEXT to increase representation among players, coaches and referees.
  • Supplier Diversity Program – MLS is building a Supplier Diversity Program to provide meaningful opportunities and economic inclusion to minority-owned businesses. This will include spending around MLS major events, hiring of agencies, and the selection of vendors, among many areas of league and club business.
  • Partnerships with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and 100 Black Men of America – MLS has formed partnerships with 100 Black Men of America and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. In addition to a financial commitment, MLS will collaborate with both organizations to develop long-term programming centered around mentorship, workplace development, social justice, health and wellness, and financial literacy.
In addition to these initiatives, MLS owners have contributed $1 million to Black Players For Change to aid in the growth of the organization in the coming years.

NCAA Seeks Review of Alston/Grant-in-Aid Case

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The NCAA’s Chief Legal Officer Donald M. Remy issued the following statement this morning:

“Today, the NCAA asked the U.S. Supreme Court to grant review of the Alston/Grant-in-Aid case. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is applying antitrust laws to NCAA student-athlete rules inconsistently with other federal circuits and indeed the Supreme Court itself. The ruling blurs the line between student-athletes and professionals, conflicts with prior appellate court decisions, appoints a single court to micromanage collegiate sports, and encourages never-ending litigation following every rule change. The decision extends beyond the NCAA’s ability to govern college sports throughout the country, affecting how other joint ventures operate. It is critical for the Supreme Court to address the consequential legal errors in this case so that college sports can be governed, not by the courts, but by those who interact with and lead students every day. Together with our conferences that were individually sued in this matter, we will continue to defend the line between professional sports and college sports.”

Questions Abound Regarding Young Athletes, Heart Disease and COVID-19

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Reports that some young athletes testing positive for COVID-19 also had increased rates of heart swelling have concerned sports medicine physicians around the country.

“SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, has an affinity for the heart through ACE2 receptors, and this may be responsible for heart inflammation,” said Irfan Asif, M.D., a sports medicine physicians and chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. “This could lead to myocarditis in the heart, which could be deadly for athletes who play sports with this condition.”

Asif is the incoming chair of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Collaborative Research Network. In this role, he is working with researchers from the University of Washington and Harvard University to study the effects of COVID-19 on the hearts of athletes.

“We are working to link the Power 5 conferences with researchers at these universities to get a better understanding of the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the heart,” he said.

Swelling of the heart, a condition known as myocarditis, is fairly rare in young athletes; but there is evidence of a link between increased rates of myocarditis and COVID-19. A recent Ohio State University study indicated that 15 percent of athletes with COVID-19 had swelling of the heart.

“There are roughly 500,000 athletes who play collegiate sports, and about one in 50,000 dies from a health-related condition each year,” Asif said. “Myocarditis is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. Since we know that COVID-19 causes heart swelling, myocarditis could become a greater risk if not recognized quickly.”

Asif says a study in Germany indicated that as many as 60 percent of COVID patients had heart inflammation noted on cardiac MRI two months post-infection. The study needs to be confirmed in young athletes since the study was performed on older adults. Nevertheless, the findings are concerning.

“We need to learn more about the impact of COVID-19 on the heart, and that is where studies of college athletes will be helpful. It will allow us to understand the most effective techniques and protocols for detecting myocarditis. Down the road, we hope this will lead to better screening and prevention strategies,” Asif said. “Right now, there are too many unknowns in regard to COVID-19, and this makes it difficult to make plans for athlete safety.”

Hackney Publications Announces the Hire of Senior Editor Peter Dawson

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Dawson Brings an MBA in Journalism as well as Experience Working at Daily and Weekly Newspapers to the Nation’s Leading Publisher of Sports Law Periodicals

Hackney Publications, the nation’s leading publisher of sports law periodicals, has announced today the hire of Peter Dawson, a sports business journalist, to help the company expand its presence in both the sports industry and legal community.

Dawson, who has a Master of Science in Journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University, will participate as a writer, reporter, and editor for the more than a dozen periodicals and media outlets that Hackney Publications produces.

“Peter is inordinately qualified for this opportunity, bringing an existing passion for the sports business and sports law beats that would be hard to replicate with any other journalist,” said Publisher Holt Hackney.

“While Hackney Publications has nurtured tremendous goodwill in the sports law community over the last two decades, the rapid growth has made it difficult for me to be as proactive as would like when it comes to putting my finger on the pulse of its participants. In Peter, I have someone who will help identify the unwritten stories and ensure that they are reported on as well as help Hackney Publications understand better what the needs of the industry are from a content standpoint. This is long overdue.”

Dawson noted that he was aware of Hackney Publications and its leadership role, long before one of its senior writers, Ellen J. Staurowsky a professor at the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, made the introduction.

“If you cover sports business or the law, you invariably become aware of one or more of Hackney Publications’ periodicals, and the respect they have in the business and legal communities they serve,” said Dawson, who is based in Austin where Hackney Publications is headquartered. “I’m excited to participate in the imminent growth of the company and the opportunity to help Hackney Publications better serve the needs of its subscribers and readers.”

About Hackney Publications

Hackney Publications (www.hackneypublications.com) is the nation’s leading publisher of Sports Law Periodicals. In total, Hackney Publications produces 12 such newsletters, including Sports Litigation Alert, Professional Sports and the Law, Legal Issues in High School Athletics, Legal Issues in Collegiate Athletics, Journal of NCAA Compliance, Concussion Litigation Reporter, and Sports Facilities and the Law. It produces five other publications that are complimentary and supported by sponsorship. These include Title IX Alert, Sports Medicine and the Law, Concussion Defense Reporter, Esports and the Law, and MyLegalBookie. Hackney Publications has two senior writers – Ellen J. Staurowsky a professor at the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, and Jeff Birren, former general counsel of the Oakland Raiders and an adjunct professor of law at Southwestern.

National Sports Law Institute Fall Conference Set for Friday, October 16

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The National Sports Law Institute’s Annual Fall conference will take place online on Microsoft Teams on Friday, October 16, 2020. This year’s conference will focus on Perspectives from a Sports Law Faculty, and feature our own Sports Law Program faculty members, many who are members of this association, along with a few other alums, discussing areas within their expertise and connected to courses they teach at Marquette. The conference will run from 12 – 5 pm.

The participants and discussions will be as follows

 

Complete details on the conference can be found on the conference website. If you are interested in joining us please register online by clicking here.  Space is filling up fast, so please consider registering soon.