Author: Holt Hackney

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Former NCAA Lawyer Named VP for Legal Affairs and General Counsel for University of Maryland

The University of Maryland has named Juan “Jay” Rosselló vice president for legal affairs and general counsel, effective Aug. 1. In this role, Rosselló will serve as the university’s chief legal officer responsible for managing the university’s legal affairs. He will focus on helping university clients fulfill their educational, research and entrepreneurial missions in accord…
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Trevecca’s Sport Management Program Partners with Nashville Sounds to Offer Mutual Learning-Based Opportunities

Trevecca Nazarene University has announced a learning-based partnership between the school’s undergraduate sport management program and the Nashville Sounds Baseball Club. Dr. Leigh Ann Danzey-Bussell, a professor of sport and entertainment management at Trevecca, coordinated with the Sounds’ Taylor Fisher, vice president of ticket sales and service, and general manager and COO Adam English on…
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Arizona’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Submits Filings to Defend Law Prohibiting Biological Boys from Playing on Girls’ Teams

Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne recently submitted a formal legal response in his defense of a lawsuit challenging the state law that prohibits biological boys from playing on girls’ teams. Horne is the only remaining defendant in the case since the other named parties have declined to defend the law. In a news…
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Wells Fargo Jumps In, Launches Sports & Entertainment Program

Wells Fargo has announced a new Sports & Entertainment Program “focused on recognizing and supporting financial advisors who serve clients within the sports and entertainment industries.” Wells Fargo claims it “has a long history of serving the complex needs of clients with significant wealth. With the availability of the Sports & Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management…
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Two New York Decisions Reflect Confusion Over Assumption of Risk

(Editor’s note: the following was written recently by Gary Chester, our long-time senior writer and a sports law professor, for Sports Litigation Alert. The Alert is the most-comprehensive sports law periodical in the nation, publishing 15 to 20 case summaries and articles every two weeks, and featuring a searchable archive of 5,000 summaries and articles.)…
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Attorney Writes About ‘How to Effectively Draft an NIL Contract’

By Joshua Frieser For nearly two years, college athletes, sports agents, and sponsors have sought to create name, image, and likeness (NIL) contracts that comply with NCAA rules, state laws, university policies, and sponsorship and advertising laws—all while attempting to draft contracts that are effective and operate to meet the needs of the particular deal. Much like…
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Sidley Represents the State of New York/Empire State Development in US$1.54 Billion Buffalo Bills Stadium Deal

Sidley represented the State of New York/Empire State Development as lead counsel in its high-profile public-private partnership with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills to build a new US$1.54 billion state-of-the-art, 60,000-plus-seat stadium in Orchard Park, NY. The State is contributing US$600 million, under a 30-year lease, toward the project’s construction costs, with an additional US$250 million…
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Alabama Governor ‘Takes Another Step to Protect Women’s Sports,’ Signs House Bill 26

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed House Bill 261 last week, which limits transgender students to playing sports in public colleges and universities only with their biological sex. Upon taking this latest action to “protect female athletes,” Governor Ivey issued the following statement: “Look, if you are a biological male, you are not going to be…
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Churchill Downs Shuts Down to Investigate Mysterious Horse Deaths

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced yesterday that it will suspend racing operations at Churchill Downs Racetrack, beginning June 7, 2023, through the remainder of the Spring Meet, scheduled to run to July 3. According to the parent company, “Churchill Downs Racetrack has seen an unusual number of horse injuries over the previous month resulting in 12…
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Kristi Schoepfer’s Passing Leaves a Hole in the Sports Law Academic Community

People are complex. What you see is not always the same thing that everyone else sees. Kristi Schoepfer, the Winthrop University (SC) sports law professor, was a textbook example of this. Dedicated. Detailed. Loyal. Generous. Fun. These were some of Kristi’s qualities. But not everyone saw all of those qualities. Sadly, many of those who…
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