The Sport Professor Podcast

Introduction to Constitutional Law

This is an copy of my in-class lecture undergraduate Sport Law lecture introducing students to Constitutional Law. 

Sport Law - Premise Liability Class Lecture 2025

This is a recording from our 2025 Sport Law course. The lecture focuses on premise/facility liability in sport. 

Defenses for Negligence in Sport - Class Lecture 2025

This is the audio from a undergraduate sport law lecture introducing legal defenses for negligent acts in the field of sport. 

Defining Legal Duties in Sport

This is a recording of an lecture for my Fall 2025 Sport Law course. The lecture focuses on defining legal duties/obligations in sport.

Introduction to Negligence - Sport Law Class Fall 2025

This is a lecture introducing the legal topic of negligence to my Fall 2025 Sport Law course. 

How Teams Get Their Names - An Overview of Building Brands in Sports

Have you ever wondered how Tiger Woods and Cristiano Ronaldo have gone about creating brands worth hundreds of millions of dollars? Or why sport teams spend so much time creating unique team names, colors, mascots, and logos? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we deep dive the world of sport marketing and branding.  Beginning with an overview of what branding is and why it is so important (2:51), we then move to discuss how companies, specifically in sport go about creating a strong brand (25:08) through forming a unique brand personality (38:02) and visual identity (53:11).  Finally, we end the podcast with a conversation about how you can use this knowledge to build, shape, and grow your own brand and lay out why doing so is important in today’s world (1:05:54).  So, if you are interested in learning more about all facets of branding just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Sport Law - NCAA v. The World - Part II

Have you ever wondered how the EA Sports NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball video games almost caused the downfall of college sports? Or questioned what the future holds for college athletes and their ability to capitalize off their name, likeness, and image? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we conclude our three-part series deep diving the intersection of the Sherman Antitrust Act and sport, focusing this time on two of most important lawsuits in NCAA history. Beginning with a quick reminder of what the Sherman Antitrust Act is (3:18) and how it has been applied to college sport (7:41), we then move to discuss the recent lawsuits challenging the status quo of the NCAA (11:45). More specifically, we breakdown both O’Bannon v. NCAA (20:40) and Alston v. NCAA (43:51), examining the legal arguments and decisions the courts have issued, before ending with a discussion of what those decisions mean for college sports going forward (54:51). So, if you are interested in learning more about what the future holds for the NCAA and if that future includes athletes making money like professionals, just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Sport Law - NCAA v. The World - Part I

Have you ever wondered how the NCAA can legally limit the movement of players from one university to another or restrict a student-athlete’s earning potential? Or have you ever stopped to ask why the NCAA can legally ban teams from playing postseason games?  If so, this is the podcast for you as today we continue our deep dive into the intersection of the Sherman Antitrust Act and sport, focusing this time on college athletics. Beginning with a brief recap of the Sherman Antitrust Act (3:30) and the history of the NCAA (8:25), we then move to break down the numerous lawsuits that have been filed against the National Collegiate Athletic Association claiming they are in violation of the antitrust law. We focus both on times when the NCAA’s practices have been judged to be an illegal restriction on free trade (27:38; 54:00) and on situations where bylaws and rules have been found to preserve a competitive marketplace (39:22; 50:01; 57:28). The goal of such analysis is to identify the legal precedent that may be applied to current discussions centered on paying college athletes. So, if you are interested in learning more about how the NCAA has continually argued they do not hold a monopoly over college sports, just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Sport Law - The History of Antitrust Laws in Sport

Have you ever wondered why Major League Baseball is exempt from antitrust legislation or why the federal government is always threatening to remove their exemption? Or why other leagues are treated differently than baseball, and what they must do to survive? If so, this is the podcast for you as today we deep dive one of the most important and influential laws in sport history… the Sherman Antitrust Act. Beginning with a brief history of the gilded age in America (2:30), we then move to introduce the origins of the Sherman Antitrust Act (19:55), before breaking down its legal components (28:30). From there we examine key cases filed against Major League Baseball (38:43), the National Football League (48:54), and Major League Soccer (56:10), focusing on how the courts have applied the law to various situations and how each decision shaped the future structure and operations of professional sports. So, if you are interested in learning more about how the actions of billionaires like Cornelius Vanderbilt and John D. Rockefeller shaped the laws in the late 1800s, and the effect of those laws on sports today just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.

Sport Law - Premise Liability Part 2 -The Cases

Have you ever wondered what parts of a baseball stadium need to be covered by protective netting? Or if a spectator at The Masters could sue Augusta National for being hit by an errant drive?  If so, this is the podcast for you as today we continue our deep dive into torts in sport as we give you Part 2 of our breakdown of facility liability. Beginning with a quick reminder of the duties facility owners and operators owe invitees and licensees, we will then move to break down numerous real-world situations in which fans were injured at sporting events and sued the stadium, facility and/or owners for damages.  We will pay particular attention to campground liability (5:30), baseball (16:49), hockey (31:09), and golf (44:45), before ending with a general summation of the liability sport teams and facility owners face when objects or players leave the playing surface and enter the stands (1:06:46).  So, if you are interested in learning more about how the courts have ruled on actual cases involving injured spectators just sit back relax and enjoy this episode of The Sport Professor Podcast.