On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including Monday’s landmark Supreme Court ruling against the NCAA. Sportico legal analyst Michael McCann joins to the show to break down the 9-0 ruling and what it means for the future of college sports.
While the case itself is fairly narrow—it technically applies only to academic-related compensation—the ruling could have two major legacies, McCann says. For starters, schools may rush to stretch the definition of ‘academic-related’ benefits, allowing for a fairly broad range of new ways to spend on football players, gymnasts and other athletes. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the opinion strikes down a precedent that the NCAA has used in its legal defenses for the past few decades and makes the governing body more vulnerable to legal challenges in the future. Those challenges could come with treble damages, McCann explains, which would put the NCAA in a tough position financially.
The hosts also discuss the star-studded ownership group for the new National Lacrosse League franchise in Las Vegas, and an executive hire by Fanatics that hints at potentially new areas of business for the sports ecommerce giant.
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