From the Director: Tulane's Sports Law Program making students' dreams come true

I hope you are all well.  As usual, spring in the Tulane Sports Law Program was packed with events, offering unparalleled opportunities for our students to learn and network with lawyers and executives in the sports industry.  Our annual sports law competitions returned as strong as ever, receiving attention and praise on the national stage as ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler spotlighted the Tulane Pro Football Negotiation Competition on “SportsCenter,” and national MLB.com reporter (and baseball competition judge), Mark Feinsand highlighted the Tulane International Baseball Arbitration Competition on his “Hot Stove” segment.  Our four competitions—Pro Football, Baseball, Pro Basketball and International Fútbol—connected our students with over 130 sports industry professionals.

With each generation of Tulane Sports Law alumni helping the next, we’re thrilled that at least 14 Tulane Sports Law students will have internships in the sports industry this summer— many of whom were hired by Tulane Law alums. 

Professor Gabe Feldman, Director of the Tulane Sports Law Program

The primary goal of the Tulane Sports Law Program is to help our students land their dream jobs.  We are so proud to have so many alumni working in sports, and some of our success stories are highlighted in this newsletter.  With each generation of Tulane Sports Law alumni helping the next, we’re thrilled that at least 14 Tulane Sports Law students will have internships in the sports industry this summer— many of whom were hired by Tulane Law alums.  There is truly no better part of my job than helping our students reach their goals and succeed in the sports industry, and our generous network of alumni and friends—all of you—are the key to our continued success.

Among the many opportunities for our students to connect with our alumni, our annual Entertainment & Sports Law Conference has become a marquee fixture on the industry calendar.  The Tulane Sports Law Program and the Tulane Center for Sport co-hosted the 7th annual edition on April 5-6, 2024 and welcomed over 200 attendees and speakers.  This year’s program featured the most extensive schedule yet, with 45 speakers joining 10 panels covering the hottest topics in the entertainment & sports worlds. 

 As usual, the Conference gave attendees a taste of New Orleans, with beignets from Café du Monde, catered breakfast and lunch, and a networking reception.  We are particularly thankful to our keynote speakers, R.C. Buford (five-time NBA champion executive; CEO of the San Antonio Spurs); Patrick McEnroe (former professional tennis player; ESPN commentator); and Mike Tannenbaum (L ’95) (founder of The 33rd Team; former N.Y. Jets General Manager and Miami Dolphins Executive Vice President).  We also are grateful for the generous support of our Organizing Committee, Kevin Yorn (L ’90); Tim Francis (L ’86); and Jeff Frost (L ’89).

We were also happy to continue our longstanding partnership with the Sports Lawyers’ Association, as we brought a large group of Tulane students to attend the 49th annual SLA Conference in Baltimore, Maryland in May.  Tulane Sports Law students receive free registration to the Conference thanks to Tulane’s assistance with the event.  This is the top meeting of sports lawyers nationally, with well over 800 attendees from every corner of sports and yet another fantastic opportunity for our students to connect with professionals and start their career. Each year Tulane Sports Law hosts a networking reception at the Conference and this year’s attendance brought together the Tulane community for another great evening.

Our work extends beyond campus as well.  Through the Tulane Center for Sport, in June we continued our longstanding partnership with Major League Baseball’s Youth Academy program, leading middle and high school students from across the country through a four-session course focused on name, image, and likeness issues in baseball.  This is in addition to our partnerships with Special Olympics, The Starting Block (a New Orleans youth outreach/sports education program), and more.

We hope to see you on campus in the fall, particularly for our 8th annual Women in Sports Law Symposium. More details to follow soon.  Thanks so much for being a part of it all.

Best,

Gabe Feldman

Sher Garner Professor of Sports Law and Paul and Abram B. Barron Professor of Law

Director, Tulane Sports Law Program

Co-Director, Tulane Center for Sport

Associate Provost for NCAA Compliance, Tulane University