UMKC Sports Law Symposium: Emerging Legal Issues Affecting Amateur & Professional Sports

Abstract

Introduction to the 2007 University of Missouri-Kansas City Law School’s inaugural Sports Law Symposium. The symposium created a forum that contributed to developing intellectual synergies among national sports law scholars, practicing sports law attorneys, athletic directors, coaches, sports industry professionals, and, importantly, student-athletes. The engagements created revolved around the theme of emerging legal issues affecting amateur and professional sports. The symposium featured scholarly presentations in the amateur and professional sports areas. Scholarly inquiry focused on a range of topics, from the economic and legal issues affecting the coaching profession to balancing gender and minority gender equity under Title IX. The range of topics also included performance-enhancing drugs, laws affecting the implementation of drug testing protocols in professional and amateur sports, and the roles and rights of professional athletes beyond the playing field.

Keywords: Sports Law, Student-Athletes, Amateur Sports, Professional Sports, Title IX