College athletics has been in a state of constant regulatory change since the NCAA’s decision to permit athletes to monetize their name, image, and likeness (NIL) nearly three years ago. In addition to several rounds of NCAA NIL guidance, there have been legislative changes at the state level, introduced federal legislation, and multiple lawsuits that…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has ruled in favor of Zion Williamson in his lawsuit against his former marketing agency, Prime Sports Marketing. The case primarily dealt with the North Carolina Uniform Athlete Agents Act. While most states have implemented a version of the Uniform Athlete Agents Act (including North Carolina),…

Frieser Legal advised five-star safety Trey McNutt during his eligibility dispute with the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). McNutt was suspended by the OHSAA in February for competing in offseason 7-on-7 tournaments, which violated an Association rule prohibiting football players from competing in certain non-school events. With counsel from Principal Attorney Joshua Frieser, the…

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals (District II) has ruled in favor of Hayden Halter, a high school wrestler, in his case against the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA). In February of 2019, Halter was suspended by the WIAA for two unsportsmanlike conduct violations issued to him during a wrestling meet. The Association’s rules then in…

Frieser Legal has been named to Hackney Publications’ annual list of Top 100 Law Firms with Sports Practices. The list is published “with the goal of providing the sports industry with a guidebook to the top 100 law firms with an exemplary sports law practice.” Hackney Publications is the nation’s leading publisher of sports law…

Every college and university in the world owns intellectual property. One of the most important aspects of a university’s intellectual property is its trademarks. Consider any “big-time” college athletics universities, such as the University of Alabama, Michigan, or Wisconsin. Each has iconic team colors, mascots, uniforms, fight songs, and logos. These universities carefully cultivate their reputation and…

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions (COI) has announced an infractions decision for violations of the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) and recruiting rules in the Florida State football program. The conduct in question stems from an assistant coach facilitating a meeting between a prospective transfer student-athlete and an NIL collective affiliated with the…