| Attorney Leigh Ernst Friestedt will host a candid conversation featuring both her own clients and other collegiate athletes involved in one of the most consequential legal battles in sports history. These athletes have stepped into the legal spotlight to challenge the settlement, united in their argument that the proposed revenue-sharing models and back-pay distributions directly violate Title IX.
This webinar goes beyond the headlines to understand the high stakes in the House v. NCAA settlement, moving past the balance sheets to explore the human element of collegiate sports. The session focuses on bridging the gap between law and lived experience, offering a unique platform for the athletes themselves to share their stories. You will hear firsthand athlete perspectives on the new NCAA financial landscape and why the approval of the settlement agreement should be overturned.
Together, they will discuss:
- The Future of Equity: How the House settlement could reshape college athletics, altering the path for future generations.
- Title IX & Sustainability: Exploring how past damage and proposed revenue-sharing models conflicts with Title IX protections and the long-term sustainability of women's—and men's—collegiate sports.
- Highlight the Human Impact: Given the legal complexity of the settlement, wehighlight the personal stories of the athletes involved to show the real-world consequences of these policy changes.
CLOSED CAPTION FEATURE AVAILABLE FOR ALL WEBINARS | MEET OUR MODERATOR AND PANELISTS | | | Leigh Ernst Friestedt, Founder, Equity IX, LLC Leigh Ernst Friestedt is the Founder of Equity IX, LLC, a boutique law firm that specializes in Title IX, women's sports and education. As a former student-athlete at Brown University, Leigh is uniquely qualified to advise universities, student-athletes and coaches on legal matters surrounding Title IX, gender equity and name, image and likeness matters. Prior to forming Equity IX, Leigh was a Mergers & Acquisitions investment banker on Wall Street at Lazard, Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) and GE Capital. Leigh has over twelve years of M&A experience advising global companies across all sectors with a specialty in media.
| | | BROOKE BAKER, Division I Lacrosse Player, Vanderbilt University Brooke Baker is a Division I women's lacrosse player at Vanderbilt University, where she is completing a Master of Legal Studies in the Law School while holding a Master of Science in Marketing and a Master of Education from Vanderbilt. A national champion and All-AAC student-athlete, Brooke has consistently balanced elite athletic performance with academic excellence. She has earned recognition on multiple Academic Honor Rolls, including conference and national distinctions for scholar-athletes. Originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, she also holds a Bachelor's degree from UNC–Chapel Hill, graduating with distinction. Her collegiate experience reflects a strong commitment to leadership, academic excellence, and top-tier competition. | | Lexi Drumm, Former Division I Women's Soccer Player and Team Captain, College of Charleston Lexi Drumm is a former Division I women's soccer player and team captain at the College of Charleston. She graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration, earning distinction as Valedictorian of the Honors College and receiving multiple conference academic honors. She is currently a first-year law student at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Lexi's involvement with the House settlement grew out of her academic and professional engagement with Title IX. Through internships and her undergraduate thesis, Unsettled: How Education on Title IX Shapes Female Athletes' Views of the NCAA Settlement, Lexi became deeply involved in advocating for a continued commitment to Title IX to ensure equal access to the privileges of collegiate athletics and the opportunities that flow from them. | | Scott Iannaccone, Division I Swimmer, California Polytechnic State University. Scott Iannaccone was a Division I swimmer at California Polytechnic State University where he is studying Computer Engineering. In his last season, he finished in the top five in the 100-yard backstroke at the 2025 Big West Conference Championships and earned one of the top five fastest times in Cal Poly history. He also achieved the Spring Quarter Dean's List in 2025.Swimming has always been a part of Scott's life, and he comes from a family of swimmers. His older brother, Ryan, swam at Cal Poly for four years, and his twin sister, Stephanie, currently competes on the Harvard University swim team. | | Gracelyn Laudermilch, Division I Track & Field and Cross Country Athlete Gracelyn Laudermilch is a freshman Division I Track & Field and Cross Country athlete from Rome, Pennsylvania. Since January 2025, she has been a formal objector to the House v. NCAA settlement agreement and is currently a pro se appellant before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Gracelyn has publicly raised concerns about the settlement's implications for collegiate athletes, voicing her objections at both the final approval hearing and the fairness hearing. She is committed to advocating for integrity, accountability, and fairness in college athletics. Guided by the biblical principles of Micah 6:8, to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly, Gracelyn approaches both her athletic career and her advocacy with conviction, discipline, and purpose.
| | | 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 52 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 | | | | |
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