Sports Law I: Governance and Regulation

Catalog description

Sports law is a subfield of law and political science that examines a broad mixture of laws that apply to athletes and the sports they play. Many legal scholars argue that the term "sports law" is a misnomer because "sports" represent the convergence of activity and entertainment that is governed by the legal system in its entirety. Accordingly, this course provides an overview of many areas of the law, particularly in the realm of governance and regulations. Through the assigned readings and research projects, students will gain valuable insight as to how "sports" are regulated by the laws of our country but also by the governing bodies and institutions that oversee the formation, activity, and "entertainment" of each sport. This course is related to Sports Law II: The Business of Sports Law in that both courses provide student with in-depth analysis of law as it relates to sports but also how "sports law" impacts society, business and the economy. However, the courses are non-sequential and students can be successful in each course independent from the other as they are both designed to be introductory courses related to governance and regulation, and legal implications in the business of sports, respectively.