College Athletics, Money and Student-Athletes
- Semester: Fall 2024
- Course ID: 296V
- Credit Hours: 2
-
Unique: 28653
Course Information
- Grading Method: Pass/Fail Mandatory
- Short course: Sep 12 - Nov 14, 2024
Registration Information
- Upperclass-only elective
Meeting Times
| Day | Time |
|---|---|
| THU | 2:30 - 5:00 pm |
Evaluation Method
| Type | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper | |||
| Other |
Description
This pass-fail course will study – in real time – the likely Fall 2024 (or Spring 2025) resolution of three class-action antitrust lawsuits (House v. NCAA, Carter v. NCAA and Hubbard v. NCAA) that will radically alter the landscape of college athletics. Although the parties negotiated a term sheet in May 2024 that broadly addresses big picture items, as of June 2024 neither the member schools nor the thousands of former and current DI athletes know the details of the $2.7 billion settlement agreement the NCAA board of governors and the autonomous/power conferences reached with the class action lawyers who represent the student-athletes (SAs).
Broadly speaking, the parties agreed that the NCAA and autonomous conferences will compensate SAs for earnings they did not receive for the commercial use of their name, image and likeness, video games and broadcasts because NCAA rules prevented them from being paid when they played sports. The settlement will also restructure college athletics going forward and will allow the conferences to create a new compensation model that can include revenue sharing agreements with their SAs. The course will mostly focus on the House settlement though we will also discuss how laws like Title IX, immigration, and labor laws may be implicated if colleges pay SAs.
There are no required textbooks. Assigned readings will include court pleadings, likely will include news articles (or blog entries) and media clips, and may include excerpts of law review articles or policy papers. Evaluation will be based on participation in class discussions, postings to Canvas, and a 10-page (minimum) paper. Students who have taken other sports law classes are welcome to take this class. While you do not need to be a former SA (though former SAs are welcome!) to take this class, you likely will be confused by (and miserable in) this class if you are not an avid college sports fan.
Dickerson, Mechele