UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS - SPORT MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

Isenberg School of Management

SPORTMGT 488 – PROFESSIONAL SPORTS INSTRUCTOR: Professor Wong

AND THE LAW (Spring, 2013)OFFICE: SOM Building, Room 236N

CLASSROOM: ISOM TBDMAILBOX: SOM Building, Room 230

CLASS MEETINGS: - M/W, Time TBDPHONE: (413) 545 – 5053

E-MAIL:

WEBSITE:

TWITTER: @WongSportsLaw #SL488

OFFICE HOURS: Tues. and Th. 1:00-2:30 p.m. Wed. and Th, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

If there are schedule conflicts, Fri. 1:00-2:30p.m and 3-4:30 p.m.

I. COURSE MATERIALS

REQUIRED READINGS

G.M. Wong, Essentials of Sports Law,Fourth Edition, 2010 (Available at the Textbook Annex or through publisher at:

Roger Fisher and William Ury, Getting To Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, Second Edition, Penguin Books, 1991 (Available at the Textbook Annex)

Blackboard Learn Class web site: readings

Handouts in class; readings for speakers

OPTIONAL READINGS

  • Sports Law Blog, available online at
  • USA Today Sports, available online at
  • Chronicle of Higher Education, available online at
  • Sports Lawyers Association at (subscription service)
  • New York Times, available online at
  • College Athletics Clips, available online at (subscription service)
  • SportsBusiness Daily and SportsBusiness Journal, both available online at (subscription service)

II. COURSE OVERVIEW

This course focuses on the many legal issues involved in the professional team sports industry in the United States. The primary focus will be on the major professional team sport leagues, and secondarily we will touch upon some of the newer professional sport leagues, some of the non-team professional sport issues and international Olympic issues. The legal areas of focus will be contracts, antitrust law, labor law, arbitration, collective bargaining and agency issues, as they apply to professional sports teams. There will be both a current and practical approach to the class. Current and recent disputes will be the focus of the lectures and discussion in class. Therefore, the students must be prepared to read current and recent newspapers, journals, articles and magazines.

III. TOPICS & READINGS (Tentative-class schedule and assignments will be adjusted after feedback from class, and also availability of speakers)

TopicsReadings

I. Overview of Industry & Labor RelationsEssentials: pp. 2-15, 539 (CBA’s in

Professional Sports), 555-556 (Outline

of a Professional Sports CBA)

II. Drug Testing Essentials: pp. 285-287, 305-317,

Supplemental Reading, Website. Drug

Testing Policies from Big 4 CBA’s

III.. Grievance ArbitrationEssentials: pp. 523-538, 305-320, Supplemental Reading, Website, Grievance Arbitration Sections from Big 4 CBA’s

IV. Contracts Essentials: pp. 387-414, Supplemental Reading, Website

V. Agents Essentials: pp. 539-574, 584-90, Supplemental Reading, Website. MLBPA Agent Regulations

VI.. AntitrustEssentials: pp. 439-472, 480-485, 664-684, Supplemental Reading, Website. American Needle court decision

VII. Labor LawEssentials: pp. 491-538, Supplemental Reading, Website

VIII. Convergence of Labor/Antitrust LawsEssentials: pp. 473-480, Supplemental

Reading, Website

IX.. NegotiationGetting to Yes

X. Salary ArbitrationEssentials: pp. 527-529, Supplemental Reading, Website, MLB Salary Arbitration Criteria, and Law Review Article on Salary Arbitration

XI. Free Agency Essentials pp. 556-559, Supplemental

Reading, Website, Free Agency Sections of

Big 4 CBA’s

XII. Salary Caps and Taxes Essentials pp. 559-562Supplemental

Readings, Sections of Big 4CBA’s

XIII. Drafts Essentials pp.615-627,Supplemental

Reading, Website, Draft Sections of

Big 4 CBA’s.

IV. GENERAL COURSE POLICIES

CLASS PREPARATION

The student will get the most out of class meetings by reading and understanding the assigned materials before class. The student may have to read materials several times before understanding them. Students should highlight and take notes from all law review articles. I also encourage you to form study groups to work through the readings.

CLASS PARTICIPATION

Class participation is encouraged in every possible manner. Attendance is not participation. Each student should be prepared to contribute to class discussion in each class. There will be plenty of opportunities for participation during the lectures and students are strongly encouraged to do so. It is important to attend every class, since many of the projects will require working in groups.Class participation will be judged on the basis of quality and consistency. Students are free to discuss the adequacy of their participation with the professor or teaching assistant.

CLASS ATTENDANCE

Class attendance is important for the lecture, notes and the contributions from other members of the class. It is also important for class participation. For unexcused absences 2-4, the final grade will be reduced by .25 points for each unexcused absence. For unexcused absences 5 and above, the final grade will be reduced by .33 for each unexcused absence.

ASSIGNMENTS/PROJECTS/EXAMS

All assignments must be typed, unless Professor Wong indicates otherwise.

A midterm examination will be held during the regularly scheduled class periods. The University will schedule the final examination during the final examination period from December 19 to 26. All final examinations must be taken during the scheduled examination times. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE ALLOWED. Please prepare for closed book exams.

Examinable Material - all assigned readings, lectures of the professor, lectures of guest speakers, student presentations and class discussions are examinable material, unless explicitly indicated.

VI. GRADING

Attendance & Participation 20%

Midterm Exam 20%

Project 120%

Presentations 20%

Project 2 or Final Exam 20%

100%

NOTE: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Action will be taken against students committing academic dishonesty in accordance with the procedures in the2012-13 UndergraduateRights and Responsibilities Handbook or

Some class meeting times may be changed to accommodate guest speakers. These changes will be announced as soon as the information is made available.

  1. VI. CLASS MEETINGS AND CONTENT OUTLINE (TENTATIVE – Some dates may be changed in order to accommodate guest speakers)

Class #Day, DateTopics Case PresentationCase Problem

1Wed., Sept. 4 Overview of Sports Industry;

Current Issues in Labor Relations

2 Mon., Sept. 9 Drug Testing

3 Wed., Sept. 11Drug Testing

4Mon., Sept. 16 Grievance Arbitration

5Wed., Sept. 18 Grievance Arbitration

6Mon, Sept. 23Contracts

7Wed., Sept. 25Contracts

8Mon., Sept. 30Agents

9Wed., Oct. 2Agents

10Mon., Oct. 7Antitrust

11 Wed., Oct. 9Antitrust

Oct. 14 NO CLASS (COLUMBUS DAY)

12Tues., Oct. 15Antitrust

13Wed., Oct. 16Midterm

14Mon., Oct. 21Labor Law

15Wed., Oct. 23Labor Law

16Mon., Oct. 28Convergence of Labor & Antitrust

17Wed, Oct. 30Convergence of Labor & Antitrust

18Mon., Nov. 4 Negotiation

19Wed., Nov. 6Negotiation

Mon., Nov. 11NO CLASS (Veterans Day)

20Wed., Nov. 13Salary Arbitration

21Mon., Nov. 18Salary Arbitration

22Wed., Nov. 20Free Agency

23Mon, Nov. 25Free Agency

24Wed., Nov. 27Salary Caps and Taxes

25Mon., Dec. 2Salary Caps and Taxes

26Wed., Dec. 4 Drafts

27Mon., Dec. 9Drafts

28Wed., Dec. 11TBA

CUMULATIVE FINAL EXAM TO BE SCHEDULED BY THE UNIVERSITY DURING THE FINALS PERIOD (December 9 to December 14)

COPYRIGHT

Many of the materials created for this course are the intellectual property of the instructor. This includes, but is not limited to, the syllabus, lectures and course notes. Except to the extent not protected by copyright law, any use, distribution or sale of such materials requires the permission of the instructor. Please be aware that it is a violation of university policy to reproduce, for distribution or sale, class lectures or class notes, unless copyright has been explicitly waived by the faculty member.