Sports Law

For as long as intercollegiate athletics have existed, colleges and universities (and the NCAA) have maintained that college athletes are “student-athletes.” Students first, athletes second. Even with the introduction of athletic scholarships—which provide a scholarship in exchange for athletic performance—college athletes have not been viewed by courts as employees. While there have been dozens of […]

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NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Frieser Legal February 16, 2023 Frieser Legal Joins the NIL Verified Network The membership program represents a critical step forward in creating a more equitable and trustworthy NIL landscape for college athletes MILWAUKEE, FEBRUARY 16, 2023. Frieser Legal, a pioneering law firm in the NIL space, announced today that they […]
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The National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) Los Angeles Regional Director has determined that the National College Players Association’s (NCPA) Unfair Labor Practice charge against the University of Southern California (USC) has enough merit to move forward. In February 2022, the NCPA filed the Unfair Labor Practice charge against USC, the Pac-12 Conference, and the NCAA, under […]
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Over the past year and a half, high school and college athletes have signed thousands of name, image, and likeness (NIL) endorsement deals. NIL deals have been signed with local companies like car dealerships and national brands like Pepsi and Dr. Pepper. As the NIL industry has progressed, more and more college athletes have hired NIL agents to source and negotiate NIL deals for them.

Sports agents that typically negotiate professional playing contracts and marketing agencies that represent
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Educational resources created for college athletes have been extensive in the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era. There have been materials developed to help athletes understand NIL laws, NIL contracts, intellectual property, taxes, and more. One area where college athletes have expressed a lack of sufficient educational material is in evaluating professional service providers. Because […]
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At slightly more than one year old, the name, image, and likeness (NIL) industry is booming. And it’s not just for high school and collegiate athletes. The billion-dollar industry has created countless jobs and business opportunities. In addition to the corporate sponsors that have looked to capitalize on ultra-high-engagement athlete marketing, hundreds of businesses have either formed or expanded their service offerings to tap in to the NIL industry. As of this writing, NIL Network’s industry directory includes 425
Continue Reading A Comprehensive Legal Guide for NIL Industry Start-ups

There has been a strong push for Congress to pass legislation to regulate the NIL space within college athletics. Recently, concern about donors and collectives abusing the current lack of name, image, and likeness rules has been voiced by some of the more important figures that represent the Power 5 conferences. The Power 5 conference […]
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NIL has created avenues for talented athletes to transform themselves into marketable, celebrity figures. For some, these opportunities are accompanied by lucrative deals surpassing dollar amounts most Americans may never see. Although there has been much focus on name, image, and likeness (NIL) within college athletics, NIL also significantly impacts high school athletes. While NCAA […]
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In an Aug. 31 letter to U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Tommy Tuberville, the Power 5 conference commissioners outlined their position on how Congress can most appropriately create fair and uniform legislation to govern name, image, and likeness (NIL) in college athletics. The letter was submitted in response to the Senators’ request for more information from the commissioners.

The “NIL era” has been riddled with patchwork state legislation, differing institutional policies, and a lack of straightforward guidance from the
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Much has been made of the rule changes in college athletics, with the NCAA allowing college athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness since July 1st, 2021. The NIL market—already a billion-dollar industry—is only set to grow, as more businesses will seek to capitalize on the opportunities provided through athlete sponsorship. The “NIL era” has […]
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As the second school year of the NIL era is about to begin, many collegiate student-athletes have taken advantage of the opportunities that have come with the ability to market their name, image, and likeness. In year two, college athletes should consider taking the next steps to advance their NIL activity. Here are four things to help take your […]
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Beginning on July 1, 2021, the NCAA amended its bylaws to allow student-athletes to receive compensation in exchange for their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) for the first time. College athletes across the country have since signed thousands of endorsement deals worth millions of dollars. One projection expects the college athletics NIL market to grow to $1 billion […]
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With the spring semester nearing its conclusion, spring football is underway, and the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments have wrapped up. A common occurrence at this point in the semester is student-athletes entering the transfer portal. In the wake of changes in both NCAA and conference legislation requiring transferring student-athletes in some sports to spend a year in residence prior to returning to competition, the transfer portal has never been more popular, powerful, or impactful on intercollegiate athletics.
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As tax season is looming, many student-athletes that have earned income for NIL activities over the past year will likely interact with the IRS for the first time. Student-athletes should be mindful that their income from NIL deals over the past year are now subject to applicable federal and state income taxes. For NIL deals […]

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With college athletes able to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL), many have turned to creating and building their own brands. Building a brand can come with the use of a trade name and a personalized logo, specific to the student-athlete. Utilizing a brand name and logo can potentially expose a student-athlete to […]
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With the 2022 NCAA Convention having concluded, sweeping legislation was considered and passed. The membership voted to approve a new constitution for the Association. The decentralizing move gives more rulemaking authority to individual NCAA divisions, schools and conferences. What we know for certain is that college athletics will look substantially different in a few years from now […]
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