In this episode of the California Sports Lawyer® Podcast, host Jeremy Evans breaks down how technology is transforming the business of sports venues and live entertainment. Today’s stadiums are no longer just places to watch games, they are becoming fully connected entertainment environments built around data, digital engagement, security, and premium fan experiences.

Jeremy discusses the growing investment in smart venue infrastructure, including artificial intelligence, mobile integration, biometric systems, enhanced connectivity, and immersive technologies designed to reshape how fans interact with teams and events. The conversation also explores the broader business and legal considerations tied to these innovations, from sponsorship opportunities and media strategy to privacy concerns, financing, and long-term franchise growth.

As teams and leagues compete to modernize the live event experience, the future of sports may increasingly depend on who builds the smartest and most connected venues.

(Season 8, Episode 18).

Listen in as award-winning attorney and industry leader Jeremy Evans navigates the fine print on the biggest topics and most interesting legal angles in entertainment, media, and sports law. The top entertainment, media, and sports podcast is streaming on all major platforms!

You can listen to the podcast, HERE.

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.

About Bleav:

Bleav (pronounced believe) is a sports and entertainment studio and nationwide sports network. From athletes who played for the teams to passionate experts on topics you want to hear, Bleav is the #1 podcast network for professionals and fans. With 500 shows, 800 hosts with a combined 50M followers, 1000 hours of original content per month, and networks covering NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAAF, NCAAB, SEC, NHL, soccer, pop culture and more, Bleav is your destination for creators and fans of sports, teams and topics. Every Team. Every Topic. Everywhere! We Bleav in our teams, topics, and professionals. #DoYouBleav!?

Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.

In this week’s column, California Sports Lawyer® CEO and Managing Attorney Jeremy M. Evans analyzes how the growing stadium technology arms race is transforming sports business, fan engagement, media strategy, and venue development across professional and collegiate athletics.

Venues are assets as much as budgets for NIL have become.

You can read the full column below. (Past columns can be found, here).

~

Sports venues were once places where athletes just competed. Benches were wooden or basic metal and scoreboard updates were either changed by hand (e.g., still the case at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts) or in some analog format. Coaching was done by the ancient practice of yelling across the field or through hand signals and signs.

In today’s environment, sports venues are much more than places for athletes to compete. Venues are central to the success of sports franchises. Sports venues are now the lifeblood for maintaining and increasing revenue, advertising exposure, and entertainment events.

For example, the University of Illinois’ $20 million Daktronics video board and display project highlights the size of changes being made not only in the Big Ten conference, but in general in sports. Historic venues like the Rose Bowl are also investing in modernization projects to remain competitive while preserving tradition. FIFA is also working through venue upgrades for the 2026 World Cup across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The Clippers Intuit Dome is one of the most technologically advanced sports venues in the United States. A patron can enter the stadium through advanced facial recognition and without ever needing to use a physical or digital wallet.

Sports venues are also quickly becoming media platforms by proxy. The Sphere in Las Vegas is like many venues that have become social media magnets. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, has a halo board creating continuous advertising and content opportunities to keep fans engaged. Social media content created by patrons fuels excitement for both the sporting event and the venue itself. Sports social media reflects the same phenomenon that occurs when friends recommend a great movie or television show to others. Interest spreads quickly and becomes viral.

Commercialization and revenue generation through naming rights and advertising are goals of the upgrades, but possibly more importantly is that patron expectations and interests have changed. Venue internet/Wi-Fi connectivity, safety, and ease of ingress and egress are essential. In the past, the internet did not exist and neither did social media. Public concern surrounding venue safety increased significantly following the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11 attacks, but technology is a major focus of venues and will continue to be in the future.

Sports betting integration and engagement has also become an important part of venue upgrades and future venues where betting is permitted by state law or increasingly through federally regulated prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. For example, Wrigley Field has a sportsbook integration with DraftKings. The Capital One Arena and Caesars Sportsbook partnership (an NHL and NBA venue) in Washington, D.C., built in 2021, was the first of its kind to house betting within an American sports venue. Technology and safety are again important, as are interactive mobile and second-screen experiences in venues that help deliver real-time statistics, gaming, fan personalization, and increased engagement.

Lastly, there is increasing competition among sports franchises, leagues, universities, and conferences. Each university, franchise, or venue must remain relevant and much of that is done through meeting fans with their present and growing expectations. Venues are assets in much the same way that NIL budgets have become. Of course, historic venues also need upkeep, as is the case with Fenway, Wrigley, and Lambeau Field.

With these changes to venues, there will be increased concern with safety and privacy. There may also be a time when private funding is not available for upgrades and public funds through bonds and tax dollars are requested from officials and owners. The stadium technology arms race is unlikely to slow as franchises, universities, and leagues continue competing for fan attention, revenue, and relevance.

~

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.  

Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode of the California Sports Lawyer® Podcast, host Jeremy Evans explores the rapid integration of sports betting into the live sports experience and the growing debate over its influence on games, broadcasts, and public perception. As betting odds, sponsorships, and real-time wagering become increasingly embedded in sports media, important questions arise about where the line should be drawn—and who is ultimately responsible for maintaining the integrity of the game.

Long viewed as a separate activity, sports betting is now deeply intertwined with leagues, teams, media companies, and even player narratives. This episode examines how this shift is reshaping the fan experience, influencing commentary and coverage, and creating new legal and ethical challenges across the industry.

As the business of sports continues to evolve, the conversation highlights the need for clearer standards, thoughtful regulation, and shared accountability among stakeholders. With integrity, transparency, and consumer protection at the forefront, this episode underscores why balancing innovation with responsibility is critical for the future of sports and media alike.

(Season 8, Episode 17).

Listen in as award-winning attorney and industry leader Jeremy Evans navigates the fine print on the biggest topics and most interesting legal angles in entertainment, media, and sports law. The top entertainment, media, and sports podcast is streaming on all major platforms!

You can listen to the podcast, HERE.

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.  

About Bleav:

Bleav (pronounced believe) is a sports and entertainment studio and nationwide sports network. From athletes who played for the teams to passionate experts on topics you want to hear, Bleav is the #1 podcast network for professionals and fans. With 500 shows, 800 hosts with a combined 50M followers, 1000 hours of original content per month, and networks covering NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAAF, NCAAB, SEC, NHL, soccer, pop culture and more, Bleav is your destination for creators and fans of sports, teams and topics. Every Team. Every Topic. Everywhere! We Bleav in our teams, topics, and professionals. #DoYouBleav!?

Copyright © 2026.  California Sports Lawyer®.  All Rights Reserved.

In this week’s column, California Sports Lawyer® CEO and Managing Attorney Jeremy M. Evans examines the growing integration of sports betting into broadcasts and explores whether responsibility lies with leagues, media, or players as wagering becomes embedded in the modern fan experience.

Leagues must also draw the line to protect the sport.

You can read the full column below. (Past columns can be found, here).

~

Sports betting is now available for every phone, television screen, and mentioned is nearly every broadcast. While great for increased engagement among fans and increased tax and fee revenue, sports betting does have a weakness. Addiction and impropriety are those weaknesses.

While the Supreme Court in Murphy v. NCAA and laws through state legislatures opened the door to increased sports betting, the most powerful actors are not the ones who made betting legal, they are the ones who made it unavoidable. That points directly at sports leagues and the media.

Courts and legislatures made sports betting possible, but leagues and media have made it pervasive—often faster than meaningful safeguards could keep up. This is why sports betting has a quintessential threat to its sanctity and purity of the game. Sports betting has become too available and too pervasive.

Sports betting is no longer adjacent, it is now integrated into league and team deals. Watching a game now includes live odds, betting segments, and sponsored commentary. The broadcast experience has evolved into something closer to a betting interface.

What is alarming is that sports leagues have gone from the resistance and opposition to active and participating in production and profits. Leagues control the product and set the tone for normalization. In many ways, financial incentives in deals align with betting growth. Did the leagues move too quickly without building integrity in its infrastructure or is technology now catching up with sports betting violations amongst the athletes? Maybe it is both.

With the integration of betting into broadcasts, availability of odds, betting segments, phone application convenience, and commentary, it is like sticking red meat in front of a hungry lion. Talent and programming are tied to sportsbook partnerships that is blurring the line between journalism, entertainment, and promotion. There is also legal and ethical issues with an increase in sports betting related to disclosure, inducement, and audience protection. In some ways, the media and applications have transformed sports betting from limited access or optional to unavoidable.

The athletes are the most regulated, yet also the most exposed. Athletes have the strictest rules and increasing enforcement, but are directly tied to performance. In other words, there is disproportionate exposure and consequences for athletes compared to their control over the system.

When athletes are the most involved and responsible for results, an integrity gap is created. There must be safeguards like education, monitoring, and policies keeping pace with integration. There must be limitations on implementation of sports betting with leagues until safeguards can keep pace. Leagues must also draw the line to protect the sport. Athletes and media must do their part for integrity as well.

The sustainability of sports betting depends not on legality, but on whether its integration into sports remains credible and responsible. The future debate is not whether betting belongs in sports, but whether it has already gone too far into the broadcast itself. At its core, sports derive meaning from fair competition. Integrity is not incidental to the game, it is inseparable from it. Unless something is done to change the current path, betting scandals at all levels of sport will continue to be a part of the daily news.

~

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.

Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode of the California Sports Lawyer® Podcast, host Jeremy Evans explores the growing discussion around major sports events and the push for more balanced deal structures and shared financial risk. As cities, leagues, and governing bodies continue to pursue high-profile events, the stakes have never been higher—raising important questions about who benefits, who bears the burden, and how these deals are structured.

Often celebrated for their economic impact and global visibility, major events such as the Olympics, World Cup, and Super Bowl also bring complex legal, financial, and political considerations. This episode takes a closer look at the realities behind hosting agreements, including public funding, infrastructure demands, and long-term return on investment.

As the sports and entertainment business continues to evolve on a global stage, the conversation highlights why transparency, public-private partnerships, smarter risk allocation, and good dealmaking are critical for creating stronger, more balanced outcomes for host cities, leagues, and stakeholders alike. 

(Season 8, Episode 16).

Listen in as award-winning attorney and industry leader Jeremy Evans navigates the fine print on the biggest topics and most interesting legal angles in entertainment, media, and sports law. The top entertainment, media, and sports podcast is streaming on all major platforms!

You can listen to the podcast, HERE.

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.  

About Bleav:

Bleav (pronounced believe) is a sports and entertainment studio and nationwide sports network. From athletes who played for the teams to passionate experts on topics you want to hear, Bleav is the #1 podcast network for professionals and fans. With 500 shows, 800 hosts with a combined 50M followers, 1000 hours of original content per month, and networks covering NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAAF, NCAAB, SEC, NHL, soccer, pop culture and more, Bleav is your destination for creators and fans of sports, teams and topics. Every Team. Every Topic. Everywhere! We Bleav in our teams, topics, and professionals. #DoYouBleav!?

Copyright © 2026.  California Sports Lawyer®.  All Rights Reserved.

In this week’s column, California Sports Lawyer® CEO and Managing Attorney Jeremy M. Evans examines the growing scale of major sports events and makes the case for smarter deal structures between leagues and host cities.

Cities should move away from relying on projected economic impact and instead focus on actual costs and revenues.

You can read the full column below. (Past columns can be found, here).

~

In 2016, the author wrote a column entitled “Stadium Financing: American Taxpayers Should Throw the Red Flag”. The piece centered around cities being wise with taxpayer dollars when building sports venues. This column takes a similar approach, but focuses on major sporting events like the recent NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Major sports events continue to scale in measurable ways. The 2026 NFL Draft drew 805,000 fans across three days. While impressive, that figure reflects total entries rather than unique individuals, which can overstate actual economic reach. The 2024 NFL Draft drew 775,000 attendees, while Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas generated an estimated $1 billion in regional economic impact according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

The economic impact appears significant given the volume of attendees ideally spending on food, beverages, merchandise, and hotels. However, the underlying structure of these events tells a different story. The traditional model places most operational costs on cities, while sports leagues retain the primary revenue streams. Host cities typically handle security, infrastructure, and logistics through taxpayer dollars, while leagues control media rights, sponsorships, and premium event revenue. Cities often accept these arrangements due to civic pride and the promise of economic impact.

Cities should move away from relying on projected economic impact and instead focus on actual costs and revenues. A more balanced model would require establishing a baseline where the city’s costs are fully covered through event-generated revenue, with a defined profit-sharing structure. Ideally, the city would recover its costs and receive a portion of the upside, while leagues would retain a majority share reflecting their control of the event’s commercial assets.

By way of example, a framework where a city recovers its costs and participates in a defined share of the upside—such as one-third of net profits, with the league retaining the balance—could better align incentives while recognizing each party’s role. If leagues attempt to leverage competing cities to secure more favorable terms, city leadership must be willing to walk away. Financial strain often results from accepting unfavorable deals or overspending relative to actual revenue. Discipline in negotiation is essential.

As a baseline, cities should not subsidize the costs of a privately operated commercial event without clear and measurable return. If city resources are used, they should be compensated. There are exceptions for charitable activities, but major sporting events are commercial enterprises designed to generate revenue. Partnerships can also incorporate performance-based metrics tied to hotel occupancy, sales tax revenue, and ticket sales. For example, if hotel occupancy exceeds 90 percent during the event, the city’s revenue share could adjust accordingly.

Cities also need to resist the urge to host major sporting events simply because they are popular, but fail to meet fiscally responsible standards. If cities are partners in sports events, they should be treated and compensated as such. Sports leagues depend on cities as essential partners, and cities should negotiate accordingly.

~

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.  

Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode of the California Sports Lawyer® Podcast, host Jeremy Evans explores the evolving landscape of alternative and emerging sports leagues and what it takes to achieve long-term success in a competitive industry. As new leagues continue to launch, questions arise around sustainability, innovation, and the ability to capture fan interest and investor confidence.

Often viewed as disruptors to traditional models, these leagues face challenges including financial stability, media rights, player development, and market differentiation. This episode examines how alternative leagues can move beyond short-term experimentation toward durable, scalable business models.

As the sports industry continues to evolve, the conversation highlights why reinvention, strong leadership, and clear structure are essential for leagues seeking credibility, longevity, and meaningful impact.

(Season 8, Episode 15).

Listen in as award-winning attorney and industry leader Jeremy Evans navigates the fine print on the biggest topics and most interesting legal angles in entertainment, media, and sports law. The top entertainment, media, and sports podcast is streaming on all major platforms!

You can listen to the podcast, HERE.

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.  

About Bleav:

Bleav (pronounced believe) is a sports and entertainment studio and nationwide sports network. From athletes who played for the teams to passionate experts on topics you want to hear, Bleav is the #1 podcast network for professionals and fans. With 500 shows, 800 hosts with a combined 50M followers, 1000 hours of original content per month, and networks covering NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAAF, NCAAB, SEC, NHL, soccer, pop culture and more, Bleav is your destination for creators and fans of sports, teams and topics. Every Team. Every Topic. Everywhere! We Bleav in our teams, topics, and professionals. #DoYouBleav!?

Copyright © 2026.  California Sports Lawyer®.  All Rights Reserved.

In this week’s column, California Sports Lawyer® CEO and Managing Attorney Jeremy M. Evans evaluates the pathways for alternative sports leagues to build sustainable success despite structural and economic headwinds.

Having money to invest is not the only requirement to success.

You can read the full column below. (Past columns can be found, here).

~

Starting a new sports league has always been a difficult task. History shows that start-up sports leagues have four common outcomes. The first is failure. The second is consolidation with an existing sports league (either as whole or for specific franchises). The third is success, which is the least likely result, particularly in the big five sports in the United States (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS).

A possible fourth option for upstart sports leagues is to survive in the margins. Meaning, starting a non-big five sport or becoming a feeder league like the UFL has become for the NFL (which is a combination of two former iterations of the USFL and two versions of the XFL). These sports find gaps in the market and end up defining the space.

Having money to invest is not the only requirement to success. Access to capital, influential leaders, and a strong market to succeed are essential. Once a league is developed, the individual franchises must follow the four tenets of success: greatness in personnel, venue, lease, and market. It is also true that antitrust helps to protect existing leagues along with salary caps, standard contracts for players, and television deals.

Most upstart leagues lack the standing power to survive. The history of the big five provides a story of ups and downs, but mainly staying alive and thriving. There was a time when the NBA was a very popular league, but it recently has descended in popularity to Major League Baseball with the NFL in the driver seat. MLS is growing significantly, especially since the league started in the mid-1990s. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball has a major labor dispute being negotiated and on the horizon placing the 2027 season in jeopardy at one of the most popular times in the sports history.

Upstart sports leagues often struggle to replicate the “sports flywheel” (e.g., media rights, fan loyalty, and sponsorship). All three of those “wheels” require public and private investment into the new league. When comparing to LIV Golf, there was a plan for investment and success, but if the players leave or have dual loyalties to another competing league or governance (e.g., PGA), it creates a fragmented media landscape, lack of legacy fandom, and with high player acquisition costs, nearly impossible to survive long term.

Ultimately, launching a league is only the beginning. Sustaining it requires disciplined governance, alignment with investor expectations, and a clear economic model. Increasingly, sports are treated as an asset class, where value and competition must coexist. The likely future for alternative leagues is not outright disruption, but adaptation—through consolidation, strategic partnerships with established leagues, or niche positioning in the margins.

~

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.

Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.

Jeremy Evans, CEO and Managing Attorney of California Sports Lawyer®, recently interviewed renowned sports agent Leigh Steinberg at Penn State Dickinson Law.

Leigh Steinberg is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the sports industry, having represented numerous professional athletes and advised on high-profile contracts, endorsements, and media opportunities throughout his career.

The discussion focused on the evolving business of sports, including athlete representation, branding, media, and the changing landscape of the industry.

Jeremy Evans regularly engages with leading figures across sports, media, and entertainment, providing insight into the legal and business dynamics shaping these industries.

Watch the full interview.

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.

Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.

California Sports Lawyer®, led by Jeremy Evans, CEO and Managing Attorney, has been recognized by Chambers and Partners in the Chambers Spotlight California guide for Sports Law.

Chambers and Partners is widely regarded as one of the leading legal ranking organizations globally, with rankings based on independent research, client feedback, and peer evaluation. The Spotlight guide highlights select boutique and mid-sized firms demonstrating strong regional reputations and consistent client impact.

Jeremy Evans, CEO and Managing Attorney of California Sports Lawyer®, is an award-winning attorney and industry leader who advises companies, creators, and talent across the sports, media, and entertainment industries on transactional matters, intellectual property, and dealmaking strategy.

This recognition reflects the CSL's work representing clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurs, agencies, production companies, and talent, with a focus on practical, business-oriented legal solutions.

View the Chambers profile.

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.

Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode of the California Sports Lawyer® Podcast, host Jeremy Evans explores the evolving name, image, and likeness (NIL) landscape in college athletics and the growing need for structure and consistency.

Often described as a "wild west", the current NIL system and transfer portal raises questions around governance, competitive balance, and long-term sustainability. This episode examines what a more unified framework could look like, including clearer rules, stronger oversight, and the potential role of a centralized commissioner within a new governing entity.

As college sports continue to professionalize, the conversation focuses on why new leadership and a new structure may be necessary to bring stability, accountability, and credibility to the future of NIL.

(Season 8, Episode 14).

Listen in as award-winning attorney and industry leader Jeremy Evans navigates the fine print on the biggest topics and most interesting legal angles in entertainment, media, and sports law. The top entertainment, media, and sports podcast is streaming on all major platforms!

You can listen to the podcast, HERE.

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.

About Bleav:

Bleav (pronounced believe) is a sports and entertainment studio and nationwide sports network. From athletes who played for the teams to passionate experts on topics you want to hear, Bleav is the #1 podcast network for professionals and fans. With 500 shows, 800 hosts with a combined 50M followers, 1000 hours of original content per month, and networks covering NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAAF, NCAAB, SEC, NHL, soccer, pop culture and more, Bleav is your destination for creators and fans of sports, teams and topics. Every Team. Every Topic. Everywhere! We Bleav in our teams, topics, and professionals. #DoYouBleav!?

Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.

In this week’s column, California Sports Lawyer® CEO and Managing Attorney Jeremy M. Evans examines the growing governance gap in college athletics and why NIL demands a new commissioner model.

College sports now require a new commissioner model.

You can read the full column below. (Past columns can be found, here).

~

Name, image, and likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal have accelerated the professionalization of college sports, particularly in men’s basketball and football. While elements of college athletics have long had commercial aspects through television and apparel deals, those revenues were traditionally distributed toward operational costs, educational programs, and scholarships. NIL and the transfer portal have fundamentally shifted that model.

The difficulty is that NIL and the transfer portal have created a fully commercial marketplace without a central regulator and/or even a common set of rules, exposing a governance gap in college athletics. State-by-state laws, conference policies, and school-level decisions are driving inconsistency, competitive imbalance, and an NIL arms race. The President’s Executive Order provides a clear a pathway to what needs to occur to balance the field and make sure parity is a top priority in college sports.

However, the NCAA remains education-focused and is not built for contract oversight, financial valuation, or commercial enforcement. From a legislative perspective, NIL was never intended to be administered by educational institutions or even a centralized private entity. It was designed as a market-based opportunity, primarily through social media, for athletes to monetize their personal brands, not the pay-for-play system it has become.

The College Sports Commission (CSC) is also ill-equipped with sufficient decision-making authority, rules, or enforcement power to level the playing field among colleges. There have also been numerous reports that the CSC has been unable to keep up with the volume of deals it must review, creating opportunity for impropriety and a widening of the governance gap. This volume challenge underscores a deeper issue: the system is too large and too fast-moving for a decentralized review body.

U.S. Congress is unlikely to solve the disparity in rules and enforcement because federal intervention faces political hurdles and constitutional limits, including anti-commandeering principles highlighted in the Supreme Court’s Murphy v. NCAA decision. As a result, no single entity currently has the authority, expertise, or jurisdiction to regulate NIL or the transfer portal consistently across top programs. The CSC reflects movement toward coordination, but it lacks independence, uniform authority, and true enforcement power.

College sports now require a new commissioner model. A private, Power Conference-driven commissioner would oversee NIL rules, enforcement standards, and commercial governance outside the NCAA. This concept has also surfaced in a recent interview conducted by the author with super-agent Leigh Steinberg, reflecting growing recognition that the current system lacks centralized leadership. This role could initially complement the CSC, separating rulemaking from enforcement, or ultimately replace it with a centralized system. The model would depend on voluntary, but binding participation by major conferences and schools, likely tied to shared revenue streams and access to top-tier competition.

There are significant risks in any model, but there is arguably more risk in maintaining the status quo. Coordinated rulemaking among conferences raises antitrust concerns, particularly around restricting compensation and limiting market competition. At the same time, the absence of coordination fuels instability and competitive imbalance. This tension may ultimately require a limited Congressional antitrust safe harbor, but in the near term it underscores the need for collective agreement among participating institutions.

There is also concern that increased centralized control could strengthen arguments that athletes are employees under existing legal tests, particularly where compensation structures and enforcement mechanisms become more formalized. Title IX (prevents sex-based discrimination) presents an additional layer of complexity. Any structured compensation or revenue-sharing framework must still comply with federal obligations at the institutional level, even if broader NIL governance becomes more centralized. The reality is that the Power conferences are already operating with increasing autonomy, signaling a shift toward a quasi-professional league structure. The question is not whether college sports will continue to evolve commercially, but whether governance will evolve fast enough to manage it effectively.

~

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.  

Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.

In this week’s column, California Sports Lawyer® CEO and Managing Attorney Jeremy M. Evans examines executive power and the future of college sports in light of a recent executive order.

The executive order reflects both the urgency of the moment and the absence of a legislative solution.

You can read the full column below. (Past columns can be found, here).

~

The fight to save college sports is a battle between what was and what it has become. This battle is not between defined titles like coaches versus the student-athletes. The battle is for the future of college sports. In other words, the rules of the game are at stake.

The transfer portal and name, image, and likeness (“NIL”) payments have changed college sports forever. The transfer portal and NIL were driven out of frustration with student-athletes not getting paid despite seeing merchandise sales, television contracts, and apparel deals for universities, conferences, and the NCAA in the millions of dollars. Social media platforms helped to expedite not only the message for change, but literally provided the distribution channel to allow athletes to promote their message and themselves for financial gain.

The problem created by the transfer portal and NIL is that athletes are staying longer in school for the money (not the education) and often transferring between institutions for more money and playing time. Student-athletes are also not being paid for their performance, promoting a product, or some other fair market value valuation, but simply because they play at a certain university and have talent, which is the definition of pay-to-play. Pay-to-play is precisely the model that the sports-education system was meant to avoid, but the transfer portal and NIL have created regardless.

Having older athletes in their mid-20s playing against 18–20 year olds is not only unfair, it is unsafe. Having 50% transfer rates is not only unsustainable, it is unwise, and unfair. Change is needed. The players, coaches, and athletic department leadership agree—the people involved are only trying to succeed to the best of their ability in a system that has been created and will continue to do so until it is changed.

The White House through President Donald J. Trump has issued an executive order (“EO”) for college sports framed as “Urgent National Action to Save College Sports”. The EO directs federal agencies to reshape college athletics through several specific measures: (1) limits athlete eligibility to five years to complete four seasons; (2) a one-time transfer rule; (3) pushes NIL compensation toward “fair market value,” discouraging pay-for-play arrangements; (4) calls for national NIL standards to replace the current patchwork of state laws; and (5) signals potential use of federal funding and agency enforcement to drive compliance.

The executive order reflects both the urgency of the moment and the absence of a legislative solution.

In March 2026, many of the top leaders in college sports met at the White House to discuss these same issues, many of which are reflected in the EO. The question is whether the EO will last past the current presidency (e.g., it is common for future U.S. presidents to issue new EO’s overturning previous ones), whether Congress legislates the EO, or whether states, conferences, or the NCAA make changes. Executive orders allow the President to direct federal agencies, set policy priorities, and take immediate administrative action within existing law, but they do not create new law or override Congress or the courts.

The concern is that Congress has been unwilling to pass federal legislation on what has traditionally been viewed as a state issue or private contractual matter, leaving a regulatory vacuum. The NCAA has shown itself to act with weakened authority with its series of losses in court, while the courts and NCAA rules continue to allow more compensation and eligibility. Compensation and eligibility are one thing, but money without rules and guidelines for teams to compete fairly are a problem and it lacks parity in application.

Imagine professional sports without limitations on draft picks, seemingly unlimited money being spent (absent a salary cap or luxury tax), or contracts to keep players on a team. The benefit of the bargain in sports contracts is that the player gets paid to play and perform, the team and fans receive that benefit, but the contracted athlete does not get to leave every year. That is what college sports have become. It is not great for the players and definitely not good for the universities and fans.

From a legal standpoint, the challenge becomes more complex.

Legally speaking, antitrust law in the courts has favored athlete compensation and mobility. However, rule changes to college sports must define what fair market value is, how that money is earned beyond just playing to avoid the employment law issues, when a student-athlete can transfer (as a foundation it should not be more than a non-student-athlete to be fair), and how to keep fairness and parity among the conferences and universities. The risk in not resolving these issues is a widening gap in competition and a product that becomes increasingly indistinguishable from professional sports.

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About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.

Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.

In this episode of the California Sports Lawyer® Podcast, host Jeremy Evans explores the evolving relationship between media and the subjects it covers, and how that dynamic is reshaping storytelling across sports and entertainment.

The discussion examines the shift from traditional independent reporting to a more collaborative model, where leagues, athletes, and content creators increasingly work together to produce and distribute content. With the rise of social media and direct-to-audience platforms, the line between storyteller and subject continues to blur, giving individuals and organizations unprecedented control over their own narratives.

From content partnerships and athlete-driven platforms to questions around authenticity, bias, and journalistic responsibility, this episode considers both the opportunities and the challenges of this transformation.

As media continues to evolve alongside technology and audience expectations, the conversation highlights what this means for the future of sports media, the role of journalism, and the balance between storytelling and truth.

(Season 8, Episode 13).

Listen in as award-winning attorney and industry leader Jeremy Evans navigates the fine print on the biggest topics and most interesting legal angles in entertainment, media, and sports law. The top entertainment, media, and sports podcast is streaming on all major platforms!

You can listen to the podcast, HERE.

About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.  

About Bleav:

Bleav (pronounced believe) is a sports and entertainment studio and nationwide sports network. From athletes who played for the teams to passionate experts on topics you want to hear, Bleav is the #1 podcast network for professionals and fans. With 500 shows, 800 hosts with a combined 50M followers, 1000 hours of original content per month, and networks covering NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAAF, NCAAB, SEC, NHL, soccer, pop culture and more, Bleav is your destination for creators and fans of sports, teams and topics. Every Team. Every Topic. Everywhere! We Bleav in our teams, topics, and professionals. #DoYouBleav!?

Copyright © 2026.  California Sports Lawyer®.  All Rights Reserved.

In this week’s column, California Sports Lawyer® CEO and Managing Attorney Jeremy M. Evans examines how the line between sports media and the subjects it covers is increasingly collaborative.

Social media platforms have further accelerated this shift, allowing the story and storyteller to become one—and giving nearly everyone a personal broadcast channel.

You can read the full column below. (Past columns can be found, here).

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The current sports media ecosystem is competitive and constantly changing. Content providers (writers, producers, and executives) must find new ways to deliver their library of assets and intellectual property, increasingly through partnerships with leagues, talent, and rights holders.

Media has traditionally been expected to operate independently—pursuing stories based on leads or instinct and reporting the facts. Interpretation and follow up are left to the viewer. Partnerships between the storyteller and the subject, however, can make content feel more authentic, as it comes directly from the source. Social media platforms have further accelerated this shift, allowing the story and storyteller to become one—and giving nearly everyone a personal broadcast channel.

However, journalists should remain mindful of their professional obligation to pursue the truth beyond the goals of marketing or storytelling. There was also a time when newspapers and media outlets openly labeled themselves with political affiliations, signaling their perspective to readers. That approach, in some ways, appears more transparent than claiming independence while operating within increasingly aligned biases.

Shaping a narrative should not be the role of a journalist; uncovering the truth should be. Yet throughout history, including the last fifty years, those telling the story have often sought a particular outcome rather than an honest reaction. There is a time and place for both marketing and journalism, but today’s environment reflects how audiences consume content—directly, immediately, and often through social media.

The Players’ Tribune, for example, tells stories from the athlete’s perspective, often in collaboration with a writer. The Front Office Sports content partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) similarly reflects the continued evolution of marketing, storytelling, and sports journalism. It is a form of partnership consistent with other modern media content arrangements.

Many fans will welcome these types of partnerships, as much of what audiences see and hear across traditional news platforms is framed negatively in both delivery and reception. Sports media has long provided a reprieve, and these partnerships can offer an additional layer of connection when stories are told directly from or with the perspective of the athlete, actor, or business involved.

The transformation of sports media through content partnerships is, in many ways, a natural change driven by accessibility and audience demand. Good journalism still requires asking difficult questions, but media organizations can also learn from this transformation and from their audiences. Viewers want information delivered clearly and directly—without assumptions about what they want to hear. Journalism without bias includes asking questions without bias. As social media continues to dominate how people consume news and entertainment, and as podcasts and self-publishing grow, storytelling has become more democratized than ever before.

The barriers to telling a story have fallen, but personal responsibility must remain the high standard—regardless of who tells the story or where it appears.

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About Jeremy M. Evans:

Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.

Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.