Tar Heels Under Fire, Release Emails Discussing Changed Grades for Athletes

On Thursday, May 12, 2016, collegiate sports powerhouse the University of North Carolina publicly revealed a slew of emails that show what appears to be professors and university staff engaged in discussions to boost or change the grades of student-athletes. The disclosure comes in response to an official NCAA academic fraud investigation into the school, and centers around the women’s basketball team.

The released emails, many of which have been redacted to protect certain players and professors, show university employees openly talking about expediently changing …

May 14, 2016 NCAA

NCAA Appeals Fee Bond, Argues Detriment to Mission

On Tuesday, May, 10, 2016, the NCAA appealed to the Ninth Circuit, arguing that it was unnecessary to reserve more than $42 million in attorneys’ fees and costs associated with the appeal in the O’Bannon case. Initially, the judge ordered that the NCAA pay plaintiffs’ attorneys for the college athletes’ name, image, and likeness class action suit a total of $44.4 million in fees and $1.5 million in costs, but the fees were later reduced $40.8 million.

The NCAA claims that the players’ attorneys are …

May 13, 2016 NCAA

Knight Commission Urges NCAA Tournament Money for Students

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics has operated as an indicator of reform in college athletics, frequently forecasting National Collegiate Athletic Association policy change. On Tuesday, May 10, 2016, the commission recommended that NCAA leadership pursue oversight, legal, and financial reforms. Among the reform recommendations, the Commission urged the NCAA to reconsider current guidelines for the use of NCAA March Madness tournament revenues distributed to institutions.

Under the current distribution scheme, just 25 percent, or $120 million, of NCAA revenues received by institutions are restricted …

May 11, 2016 NCAA

Will an Anti-Transgender Law Prohibit North Carolina from Holding NCAA Events?

North Carolina has received a great deal of attention for many recent NCAA controversies. In January 2015, the NCAA and University of North Carolina were sued by two former student athletes for offering “paper classes.” The plaintiffs claimed the university failed to provide a “meaningful education” because it steered student athletes towards classes that involved little work, lenient attendance policies, minimal faculty interaction, lax writing standards, and high final grades. As a result of this lawsuit, the NCAA brought five breach of conduct allegations against …

April 17, 2016 NCAA / TV

CBS and Turner Extend Deal to Broadcast NCAA Tournament Through 2032

CBS and Turner Broadcasting have reached a deal with the NCAA to extend their right to broadcast the NCAA tournament for another eight years. With this new eight year extension, CBS and Turner will be broadcasting March Madness all the way through 2032. The extension itself pays an average of $1.1 billion per season, for a total of $8.8 billion, which is higher than the $770 million average under the current contract.

This year was the first year that the championship game was aired …

April 13, 2016 Litigation / NCAA

NCAA Heading to Trial Over Student-Athlete’s Fatal Head Injury

In 2011, 22-year old Derek Sheely, a former Frostburg State University football player, allegedly died from head injuries after participating in physically rough practice drills.

After the death of their son, Sheely’s parents brought suit against the NCAA in 2013, claiming that the practice drills in which their son participated had been described by certain National Football League teams as “extremely dangerous, intolerable and meaningless.” The parents ultimately claim that the NCAA should not have allowed the drills to occur.

The NCAA argued that …

April 4, 2016 Fantasy Sports / NCAA

Fantasy Sports Suspend College Sports Contests

Daily fantasy sports companies DraftKings and FanDuel have voluntarily agreed to suspend DFS contests involving college sports. This agreement arises after months of discussions between the fantasy sports companies, the NCAA, its member schools, and various state legislatures.

As the March Madness Tournament winds down, the agreement to suspend fantasy college contests will go into effect after tonight’s championship game.

DraftKings and FanDuel have been battling over the legality of their fantasy sports contests for quite some time. For example, DraftKings and FanDuel recently agreed …

March 28, 2016 Litigation / NCAA

Quick Fix: Judge Corrects Ruling and Orders Insurer to Repay $550,000 to Yahoo Over Cancelled NCAA Contest

On Thursday, March 24, 2016, a Texas federal judge ordered insurer SCA Promotions Inc. to repay $550,000 to Yahoo, adjusting a ruling in November entitling Yahoo Inc. to recover half of what it paid SCA under an agreement pertaining to an NCAA March Madness contest. It is unclear what the reason behind the correction was due to confidentiality agreements, which were also the subject of dispute earlier in the litigation.

SCA originally brought a breach of contract suit against Yahoo after Yahoo cancelled an …

March 22, 2016 NCAA

Does Duke Have the Most Valuable Players?

Given the ongoing intensity of March Madness, college basketball players have been getting a lot of attention. The Business Insider recently released an article about the value of some college basketball players if they were playing in the free market.

Having one of the most respected teams in the NCAA, Duke Men’s Basketball seems to make it pretty far into the Tournament come every March. And although Duke celebrated a big win on Saturday March 19, 2016 against Yale, Duke’s players are not the “most …