Collegiate Sports Law

Collegiate Sports Law

Aaron Price and Spencer Kelly, Attorneys

Aaron Price has over 7 years of athletic compliance experience working for both the USC Trojans and Oregon State Beavers. While at USC, Aaron handled all compliance matters for football and men’s basketball, among other sports. He was a leader amongst major programs regarding recruiting rules, football camps, monitoring, initial eligibility, and helping to create a nationally recognized compliance program. Aaron provided rules education to USC Football and was responsible for navigating the recruiting rules for the program. He gave presentations on the initial eligibility requirements to local high schools and was the liaison for all initial eligibility for both USC and Oregon State. 
Spencer Kelly has over 9 years of experience as a lawyer. Spencer’s experience interviewing, negotiating, drafting letters and reports, attending hearings, and servicing clients will give your office the vast legal experience you need. NCAA and Conference rules are complex and constantly changing. Major college programs retain law firms to assist them in navigating the rules, responding to the NCAA, conducting audits, and protecting their interests against the NCAA. The stakes are high so having experienced lawyers on your side who not only understand the laws and NCAA rules, but have worked in the trenches along side coaches and staff members for years at some of the nation’s premiere programs is critical. 

Student Athlete Eligibility

Initial Eligibility

High School
Our office can review domestic high school transcripts and make a recommendation and provide a status update based on the NCAA initial eligibility rules. 
Junior College Transfer
Our office can review junior college transcripts against 2-4 qualifier or non-qualifier rules (semester or quarter) and make a recommendation and provide a status update based on the NCAA 2-4 transfer rules.  
4-Year Transfer
Our office can review college transcripts against 4-4 or 4-2-4 transfer rules and make a recommendation and provide a status update based on the NCAA transfer rules. 
Amateurism
It is critical that amateur status is maintained to be eligible for participation in collegiate athletics. Our office can advise you of the NCAA rules and areas to avoid in order to maintain your amateur status.  

Navigating the NCAA Eligibility Center

Our office can assist you in navigating the NCAA Eligibility Center. This includes registration, proper submission of transcripts, proper submission of test scores, requesting final amateurism, completing assigned tasks, and having your counselor update classes and request approval of classes.

Parents

Our office will consult with you and your family to ensure you navigate the NCAA Eligibility Center and high school/junior college courses so that your son or daughter can participate in collegiate athletics. 

NCAA Waivers and Secondary Violations

Waiver Drafting

Our office can assist you in drafting waivers to the NCAA. The compliance office can send us the request(s) and our office will draft up the waiver and cite the proper bylaw(s) and supporting documents and send the draft back to you. This will save you valuable time to allow you to continue supporting your coaches in a fast-paced environment.

Secondary Violations Drafting

Our office can assist you in drafting secondary violations for submission to the NCAA. The compliance office can send us the facts and our office will draft up the report and cite the proper bylaw(s) and send the draft back to you. This will save you valuable time to allow you to continue supporting your coaches in a fast-paced environment. 

NCAA Infractions Cases and Investigations

If the NCAA delivers a notice of allegations outlining infractions against an institution, our office can assist with investigating and responding to the allegations. Allow our office to work directly with the NCAA. If violations are proven, we can assist in recommending changes to procedures to prevent such violations from happening in the future. 

Investigations, Witness Interviews, and Reports

If the NCAA or a Conference Office alleges infractions, our office can conduct a thorough investigation, interview all parties involved, and draft reports of our findings. If your institution suspects a violation, our office can assist you in getting to the bottom of the issues as athletics business matters need to continue as usual even in the face of an investigation. A compliance office cannot shut down to spend days or weeks reviewing a matter and our office can step in to assist you so that you can continue to run your operations with minimal impact on your daily activities.

Athletics Business Matters

Contract Negotiations and Reviews

Our office can draft contracts for coaches and staff members and negotiate terms on behalf of the institution. We can build in language to cover NCAA rules and protect the institution from actions of an employee. 

Termination

Our office can assist with termination of coaches, settlement offers, negotiations, and buy-outs.  

Camps and Clinics

The NCAA rules constantly change within the camps and clinics area. Our office can advise you on the camps and clinics rules, assist you in drafting camp flyers and advertisements, setting up an LLC, drafting clauses to protect you in the event of a participant injury, cancellation, working with minors, or navigating the NCAA and Conference rules to allow outside coaches to work and attend your camp. 

Compliance Program Reviews and Audits

It is strongly recommended that you hire an outside neutral party to conduct routine audits of your policies and procedures to ensure your athletic department is operating within all institution, Conference, and NCAA rules and regulations. Our office can review your policies and procedures, meet with your staff to gather information, and draft recommendations for improvement.

Coach and Staff Member Representation 

Our office can represent coaches and staff members charged with institution, Conference, and/or NCAA infractions. Your career or reputation may be at stake in a matter, so it is important you are represented accordingly. 

Compliance Consulting 

Our office is available to provide opinions and interpretations on Conference and NCAA rules. You can send us questions and we will research the Conference and NCAA rules and submit a response to you in a timely manner. Additionally, we can recommend and create new policies and procedures to enhance your operations.  
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