College Sports Turned Upside Down: The Demise of Amateurism

Featured Speaker: Len Simon, J.D.

The world of college sports has seen several seismic changes in the past two to three years and it appears there is more to come. Players are earning money stemming from their athletic accomplishments. Players are transferring from school to school, often to make more money. Schools are abandoning their longstanding regional conference affiliations for more TV money. About half of the 50 state legislatures have contributed to some of these changes, as have the courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Congress is holding hearings and may pass its own legislation. And some college athletes are trying to organize themselves into labor unions. How did we get here and where are we going?

Presenter Biography

Len Simon has practiced law for nearly 50 years and has taught at the law schools of the University of San Diego, Duke University, the University of Southern California and UC Irvine. His principal field of expertise is complex civil litigation and his other practice area is sportsrelated issues. In the sports business, he has represented MLB, the Padres, athletes, agents, coaches and TV-watching fans.

Coordinator: Mark Evans