Catholic Law hosted a program on Mar. 23 focused on current legal issues affecting college athletics, bringing together students, alumni, legal professionals, and guests to discuss the changing landscape of sports at the university level. The event was sponsored by the Law and Technology Institute as part of the Dean William Callahan Robinson Lecture Series and included participation from Kevin Robinson Jr., the University’s Athletic Director.
The topic is important because recent changes in law and policy have reshaped how athletes can profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), raising new questions about intellectual property rights, compensation, antitrust law, and athlete advocacy.
Professor Megan La Belle, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and co-director of LTI, said that Catholic Law has a long tradition in intellectual property and technology law dating back to Dean Robinson’s early work. The panel explored subjects such as NIL rights for student-athletes and broader intellectual property concerns within college sports.
Panelists included Rob Dickson ’24 of Fisher Phillips LLP; Bart Lambergman ’19 of Shumaker LLP; Chima Okoli ’17 of Marathon Legal LLC; and Maddie Salamone from Pacific Legal Foundation. They discussed regulatory challenges facing collegiate athletics today—from NIL agreements’ effects on athletes’ rights to financial pressures on non-revenue sports like swimming or diving. Speakers also addressed complexities around antitrust laws, labor issues, employment matters for athletes, and how collectives are influencing collegiate sports policies. The discussion highlighted a need for clearer regulations as well as more education for athletes dealing with NIL deals.
Student attendee Isabelle Perez said: “This talk really showed how quickly college athletics has changed and how the law is still catching up to the realities of NIL, athlete compensation, and institutional control.” Gabrielle Marie Alongi added: “The overview of the NCAA history, and the emergence of NIL rights provided valuable perspectives into the important role attorneys and advocates can play in bringing about change.” Another student participant Shmuel Sauer said: “I came in knowing the basics of NIL and walked out with a completely different understanding of how antitrust law, employment law, and constitutional rights all collide in college athletics.”
Afterward attendees gathered at a reception where they continued discussions with panelists about these evolving topics.
