Associate Professor, @BoiseStateCOBE. Ex-lawyer who now writes about college sports law, and finds it neat. I track litigation involving college sports.
Boise, ID
Joined May 2017
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New uNILateral Decisions: @mwalsh88, @Joe_Nickell, @Dominic_Shelden, and I sit down with NIU professor @nealcternes to discuss a trend of claims that eligiblity rules are First Amendment expression: first Sorsby, then LSU, and now DeWine.
Check it out! youtube.com/watch?v=gquZcGix…
New uNILateral Decisions: @mwalsh88, @Joe_Nickell, and I discuss Ohio governor Mike DeWine's executive order granting all Ohio Class of 2022 athletes immediate eligibility.
Can he do that? Should other governors do the same?
youtube.com/watch?v=JAz2a5q8…
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
News: Utah Valley University has won its appeal in the Second Appellate District of Texas Re: Western Athletic Conference vs UVU.
Justice Dabney Bassel offered the following judgement and subsequent written opinion that Texas courts have no jurisdiction over UVU.
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
I was fortunate enough to speak with the folks over at uNILateral decisions on First Amendment issues in college sports. Great questions from the hosts and a fantastic discussion!
New uNILateral Decisions: @mwalsh88, @Joe_Nickell, @Dominic_Shelden, and I sit down with NIU professor @nealcternes to discuss a trend of claims that eligiblity rules are First Amendment expression: first Sorsby, then LSU, and now DeWine.
Check it out! youtube.com/watch?v=gquZcGix…
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
A judge in the SEC’s federal lawsuit against LSU has set a hearing date on the latest motion in the case. The hearing is scheduled for 10 am CT on Nov. 18 in Birmingham.
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
News: #Mizzou G CJ Gunn has canceled a hearing scheduled for today in his eligibility case.
The TRO that has made him eligible expires today. MU must declare its roster before its first game. There's now doubt over whether Gunn will be on it.
stltoday.com/sports/college/…
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
NEWS: @RiddellSports and @VarsityBrands are facing a class-action suit from a Mississippi school district over their alleged roles in an athletic equipment bid-rigging and price-fixing scheme currently under federal investigation. Story for @Sportico 👇
sportico.com/leagues/college…
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
Movement in the Godfrey v. NCAA suit (where Clemson guard Dillon Hunter is fighting for eligibility) — oral arguments are reportedly scheduled for January, @austinmasseySBI reports.
The Georgia Supreme Court can, in theory, lift the stay and grant plaintiffs temporary eligibility before then, but have not done so.
Texas Tech transfer Jamichael Stillwell has been dismissed from the case without prejudice, according to court docs, likely pursuing another avenue to get eligible.
UPDATE: Oral arguments in the Georgia five-for-five appeal, Godfrey v. NCAA, are scheduled for January 12, 2027, well into the college basketball season.
With the injunction currently stayed, sources familiar with the case tell SBI that the plaintiffs are considering additional avenues for relief if the Georgia Supreme Court does not lift the stay.
Separately, SBI has confirmed that Texas Tech's Jamichael Stillwell is withdrawing from the Georgia lawsuit. According to an attorney involved in the case, the withdrawal process is underway, although the paperwork's completion has not yet been confirmed.
If Stillwell's withdrawal is finalized without prejudice, it could open the door to pursuing separate legal relief in Lubbock, where teammate Donovan Atwell recently secured a temporary injunction against the NCAA.
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
Rick Barnes said today he has an idea for the NCAA.
Clear all the fifth-year players looking for eligibility in the courts. Then take all the money that would've been spent on legal fees and give it to the Olympic sports that need it.
🔗 on3.com/teams/tennessee-volu…
Well that's a twist...
BREAKING: Mantas Rubstavicius is withdrawing his lawsuit against the NCAA after new information emerged about his eligibility. Auburn has also fired GM Brian Kloman over his knowledge of Rubstavicius’ college coursework in Lithuania.
Details ⬇️
STORY: on3.com/teams/auburn-tigers/…
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
Some new developments in the Brenen Lorient/Javan Buchanan case and what they mean. Special thanks to @samcehrlich for the insight.
#WVU si.com/college/westvirginia/…
From Friday: We have our first new case that (in part) tests the Ohio executive order that purports to allow all Class of 2022 athletes eligibility to play this season.
The plaintiff is Miami (OH) basketball player Amber Scalia. Super interested to see how this turns out.
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
It just happened again, without a play being run. Had the 2-minute timeout, then Wazzu called time out before the next play and they went to another TV timeout.
Just brutal. Killing the flow.
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
Patterson is a big one in the world of eligibility cases- potentially billions (with a B) of dollars at stake.
Trial is set for over 2 years away, but there’s not the same urgency as in most other eligibility cases.
That’s because Patterson is no longer seeking extra seasons for the plaintiffs, it now seeks only damages. In other words, the money athletes claim they lost out on because they were denied additional seasons under NCAA rules.
Patterson is a class action for potentially thousands of athletes who played from 2020 onward, so IF (big if) the case actually makes it to trial and the athletes win, the award could be enormous.
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
To give people an idea how long these cases last before the actual trial, last night the attorneys in Patterson (athletes v. NCAA/P4 conf) submitted a briefing schedule for discovery and a proposed trial date. That trial date…not expected until February 2029 (yes, ‘29).
An eye-raising new lawsuit filed this evening: two former and one current NCAA Division III athletes filed suit against the NCAA over Division III rules barring athletic scholarship, claiming that the restriction amounts to illegal price fixing under antitrust law.
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
Breaking news: Robbie Avila has been granted a temporary restraining order to play college basketball and the ruling also allows SLU to roster him. However, he must appear in court on Nov. 4 for a hearing on his motion for a preliminary injunction.
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders unionize, will begin collective bargaining dallasnews.com/sports/cowboy… via @dallasnews
Sam C. Ehrlich retweeted
Folks said this was impossible. They're 1099s and can be replaced. Turns out the skeptics were wrong here, just like they're wrong about collective bargaining in college sports.
Congratulations, DCC!
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders unionize, will begin collective bargaining dallasnews.com/sports/cowboy… via @dallasnews