| Webinar Series – Critical Issues in Collegiate Athletics Thursday, February 19, 2026 – 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET Webinar #54 The Litigation Portal: Retention, Recruitment, and the Law | | | Moving beyond "Wild West" clichés, this webinar examines the shift in collegiate athletics toward a litigious landscape governed by contract law and revenue-sharing. As we head into 2026, legal and industry experts will dissect the rise of "tortious interference" lawsuits between universities, as well as the unprecedented legal battles between institutions and their own athletes over contract enforcement. By analyzing the tension between an athlete's freedom of movement and the need for educational stability, this session identifies the systemic risks facing institutions that must now balance aggressive athletic recruitment with their core educational mission and the long-term success of their students. CLOSED CAPTION FEATURE AVAILABLE FOR ALL WEBINARS | MEET OUR MODERATOR AND PANELISTS | | |
MATT BROWN, Publisher, Extra Points. Extra Points is a newsletter covering business, policy, and off-the-field issues in college athletics. Brown has covered NIL, athlete labor movements, college athletics legislation, NCAA governance, and other related issues for several years. Brown also created 'Athletic Director Simulator 4000", a simulation computer game used by thousands of college students to help demonstrate what running a D-I athletic department is really like. Prior to starting Extra Points, Brown ran college team site programming at SB Nation, and is the author of "What If? A Closer Look at College Football's Great Questions." Brown lives in Chicago.
| |  | | ANDREW BRANDT, Executive Director, Moorad Center for the Study of Sports Law, Villanova School of Law. Brandt is a premier sports legal and business expert with over 25 years of experience across the NFL, media, and academia. Currently a Professor of Practice and Executive Director of the Moorad Center at Villanova, Brandt is a recognized thought leader in sports policy and athlete advocacy. His distinguished front-office career includes serving as Vice President of the Green Bay Packers (1999–2008), where he managed the salary cap and player contracts, and consulting for the Philadelphia Eagles. Previously, he was a high-profile player agent for stars like Michael Jordan and Matt Hasselbeck. Brandt currently serves as NIL consultant/strategic advisor to the University of Louisville Athletics and to Villanova University Athletics. In the media, Brandt is a featured columnist for The Athletic and Sports Illustrated, host of the popular "Business of Sports" podcast, and a former long-time analyst for ESPN on programs such as "Outside the Lines" and "SportsCenter" as well as ESPN radio. A Stanford and Georgetown Law alumnus, he previously lectured at the Wharton School. | | CHRISTINE BROWN, Attorney and Founder, Christine Brown and Partners, LLC. With 30 years of experience and a deep-rooted understanding of the higher education system, Brown represents athletes, coaches, and teams facing high-stakes issues—from Title IX investigations, NIL deals and scholarship disputes, transfer eligibility, coaching and employment challenges, and professional sports representation. Brown has led major Title IX cases, guided hundreds of administrative hearings with a 90% success rate, and stood firmly beside individuals navigating serious, life-altering challenges like racial discrimination, injury compensation, hazing, NIL, transfers, and disability rights. Shaped by her early years advocating for her brother with Down syndrome and the influence of her father—a trial lawyer and Division I official— Brown developed a lifelong commitment to standing up for the underdog and protecting the integrity of sports. | | | | LUKE A. FEDLAM, Partner, Amundsen Davis LLC. As Co-chair of the firm's Entertainment, Sports & Media Law Service Group, Fedlam guides businesses, executives, and athletes through complex legal and strategic challenges. With a foundation in finance and wealth management that inspired his commitment to empowering athletes with legal protection, Fedlam delivers comprehensive counsel across corporate structuring, governance, strategic transactions, contract negotiations, brand protection, and mergers and acquisitions while also advocating for athletes at every stage of their careers on matters such as name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities and personal brand development. A former Division I athlete, he co-founded companies devoted to NIL education and athlete support, serves as co-executive director of the College Basketball Parents Association, and is a recognized thought leader, author, and speaker in the business of sports law, committed to helping clients maximize opportunities and secure their futures. | | SARAH HARTLEY, Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. With nearly 20 years of experience, Hartley is a seasoned trial lawyer and appellate advocate specializing in antitrust, athletics, and higher education. As co-chair of Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner's Higher Education Team and leader of the workplace investigations group, she handles allegations of sexual misconduct, discrimination, and Title IX violations. Her advisory work includes guiding educational institutions through policy reviews and gender equity mandates in athletics. Beyond her practice, Hartley is an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, teaching sports law topics ranging from governance to doping. She has also taught at the University of Colorado and guest lectures for the University of Oregon's Summer Sports Law Institute. A recognized thought leader, she frequently contributes to publications such as Law In Sport. | | | The Drake Group Education Fund Video Library CLICK HERE to see the table of contents of The Drake Group Education Fund Video Library for recordings of all 53 previous webinars including the full proceedings of the 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 Allen Sack National Symposia. | | | The Drake Group Education Fund Inc. (TDGEF), is a national nonprofit organization operating through a fiscal sponsorship with Players Philanthropy Fund, a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions TDGEF are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. The Drake Group Education Fund's mission is to ensure that the promise of college athletics is realized for all stakeholders. TDGEF produces The Allen Sack National Symposium on Integrity in College Sports and the Critical Issues in College Sports Webinar Series, conducts fact-based research on intercollegiate athletics and develops position papers and other educational materials that influence public discourse on current issues and controversies in college sport. Copyright: CC BY-NC-ND | | | | |
