Tulane Law Hosts 12th Annual Professional Football Negotiation Competition
Tulane Law School hosted the 12th annual Tulane Professional Football Negotiation Competition, welcoming 56 student teams from law schools across the country for a weekend of high-level, real-world contract negotiations centered on upcoming NFL free agents.
The competition challenges students to negotiate professional football contracts before judges drawn from every corner of the industry. This year’s judging panel featured representatives from NFL teams like the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers, along with agencies and organizations including Athletes First, the National Football League Players Association, and other professional and collegiate programs. It also drew dozens of Tulane Law alumni working in the industry, including perennial judge and competition co-founder A.J. Stevens (L’16).
After multiple rounds of negotiations, the team from Liberty University School of Law emerged as the overall winner.
Designed to mirror the realities of professional football negotiations, the competition places students in the roles of agents and team representatives, requiring them to balance salary structures, incentives, guaranteed money, and long-term strategy, all under the scrutiny of industry professionals who do this work every day.
For many competitors, the event is a cornerstone of their sports law education. Priya Ahmad, a third-year student at Temple Law, returned to Tulane for the third time, having previously competed in the football negotiation competition in 2023 and the baseball arbitration competition in 2026.
“Tulane Law’s sports program is one of the best in the country,” Ahmad said. “The competitions they put on are incredible, the judges that they have are incredible. It’s a great way to meet other law students who are interested in working in the sports industry, as well as industry leaders.”
The competition also draws back Tulane Law alumni who credit the experience with helping launch their careers. Casey Driskill (L ’24), now manager of football administration for the New York Jets, returned this year as a judge.
“I decided to judge this year because I’ve gotten both of my jobs after law school because of Tulane Law alumni and because of people I met in this competition,” Driskill said. “It’s helped me in my career, and I wanted to come back and be a part of it.”
Marianna Salas (L ’23), a defensive pass game specialist for Tulane Football, also served as a judge, continuing a long-standing connection to the event that began when she was a student.
“As a student, I helped out bailiffing, and I’ve judged for a number of years,” Salas said. “I think it’s important for us to give students that valuable, hands-on experience as they prepare to enter the sports world.”
Behind the scenes, the competition is organized and run by members of the Tulane Sports Law Society, many of whom credit the experience with opening doors in a notoriously small and competitive industry. Ella Gisclair, a third-year student and member of the competition’s executive board, emphasized that the opportunity to receive direct feedback from industry professionals is what sets the competition apart.
“Very few people are able to go into the world having negotiated NFL contracts,” she said. “It’s a very small industry, and connections really matter. Making the most of your time here with the judges — learning and gaining constructive criticism — is something you can’t really get anywhere else.”
The Tulane Professional Football Negotiation Competition continues to serve as a national stage for aspiring sports lawyers, while reinforcing Tulane Law’s reputation as a leader in experiential sports law education.
Watch WDSU's coverage of the competition here.
