Willamette Sports Law Journal

Permanent Link:

https://digitalcollections.willamette.edu/handle/10177/5561

First published in 2004, the Willamette Sports Law Journal (WSLJ) was the first sports law journal in the Northwest. The student-run online journal was published when fully staffed each fall and spring through Spring 2016. The journal provided students, educators, practitioners and other enthusiasts with timely, well-written commentary and analysis about the evolving field of sports law, with a specific focus on how the law affects leagues, players, colleges and fans. Article topics ranged broadly from Title IX to torts in sports to anti-trust and labor law issues. The complete volumes are available in this repository.

Browse By

Now showing 1 - 5 of 70

Show Her the Money: How Title IX Complicates Paying Student-Athletes Following O'Bannon v. NCAA
(2015) Murphy, Timothy; ;
(12 Willamette Sports L.J., no. 2, 2015, at 22). This article examines student-athlete compensation in college sports programs in light of Title IX requirements. The author argues that limiting compensation to men student-athletes who comprised the class in O'Bannon v. NCAA would violate Title IX because it would result in unequal opportunities for women student-athletes.
No Privacy For the Intolerant: A Reflection on Using an Illegal Recording of Donald Sterling to Set NBA Precedent
(2016) Stirparo, Zachary
(13 Willamette Sports L.J., no. 2, 2016, at 1). This article criticizes the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) treatment of Donald Sterling, an NBA team owner who was recorded making racist comments during what he thought was a private conversation. The article describes the underlying events, then looks at the history of constitutional privacy in California (where the recording was made), examining common law and statutes. Next, the article discusses the legal battle between the NBA and Sterling. The author concludes by arguing that the NBA should not have been able to use an illegal recording to deprive Sterling of his ownership rights.
Gender Diversity in the NFL: The Importance of Female Leadership in a Historically Male-Dominated Organization
(2016) Vincent, Devon
(13 Willamette Sports L.J., no. 2, 2016, at 60). This article looks at the lack of female leadership in the National Football League (NFL), particularly in light of the NFL executive board’s neglect of the issue of domestic violence. The article describes domestic violence associated with the NFL, including the Ray Rice scandal and other major scandals. The article explores NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s failure to adequately address the issue of domestic violence. The article then describes the NFL’s personal conduct policies in place during the scandals, the small penalties imposed by the executive board on players who committed violence against women, and organizational responses to the NFL’s mishandling of domestic violence issues. Next, it discusses NFL’s past hiring practices under the so-called Rooney Rule, hiring minority males into leadership positions to resolve racial discrimination issues without addressing hiring policies that disparately impacted the hiring of women. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of the employment of women, including women of color, as future leaders in the NFL.
Getting an Icy Reception: Do Canadian Hockey League Players Deserve to Be Paid?
(2016) Steadman, Andrew
(13 WIllamette Sports L.J., no. 2, 2016, at 39). This article considers whether high-level junior hockey players should be considered employees and thus paid for their participation in the leagues, focusing on the three Canadian Hockey League (CHL) leagues located in the United States and Canada. The article examines the progression of junior hockey from the mid-1960s to the present, including how American and Canadian courts have handled cases involving “amateur hockey.” The article looks at the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) rules on eligibility of ex-junior hockey players and analyzes the state of junior hockey in light of the recent O’Bannon v. NCAA decision. The article concludes by examining proposed Washington State legislation that would officially designate junior players for Washington’s four WHL teams as nonemployees.
What the United Nations Convention Against Corruption Can Teach FIFA
(2016) Drohsel, Franziska
(13 Willamette Sports L.J., no. 2, 2016, at 30). This article analyzes how the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) can teach Fédération Internationale de Footbal Association (FIFA) to implement structural reforms that would enable FIFA to investigate past corruption, and to prevent future corruption. First, the article examines the structure of FIFA and its problems. Second, the article describes recent developments regarding FIFA officials charged with corruption. Third, the article describes relevant provisions of the UNCAC, and how these provisions suggest structural reforms to achieve transparency, accountability, and consistency. The article concludes by listing immediate steps FIFA should take to combat corruption.

Browse By

Recent Submissions