uNILateral Decisions

The Stable Media
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Sports

Where College Athletics Meets Legal Reality Timely breakdowns of legal decisions and their impact on the NCAA, schools and student athletes.

  1. 2d ago

    Follow the Money: The Economics of College Athletics with Greg Chick

    Is paying college athletes really causing a financial crisis, or are schools blaming players for problems that existed long before revenue sharing? This week on uNILateral Decisions, Mike Walsh, Joe Nickell, and Sam Ehrlich welcome Dr. Greg Chick, founder of NILnomics, to take a closer look at the numbers driving the business of college athletics. The group breaks down the House settlement's salary cap, whether athletic department donations should count toward revenue sharing, and what a recent Government Accountability Office report actually tells us about college sports spending. They also discuss the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA), skyrocketing coaching salaries, expensive facilities, inconsistent financial reporting, and the growing influence of corporate business models in college athletics. Plus, Greg introduces a different way of thinking about the financial arms race: What if costs aren't driving the need for more revenue, but instead schools are spending more simply because they have more? The episode wraps up with each panelist identifying one financial claim in college athletics they'd like to see retired until someone can back it up with the books. Follow Greg Chick and NILnomics: https://nilnomics.com Subscribe to uNILateral Decisions for conversations on NIL, college sports law, athlete compensation, and the changing landscape of college athletics. #NIL #CollegeAthletics #RevenueSharing #NILnomics #SportsLaw #uNILateralDecisions

  2. Oct 5

    Is the PCSA Unconstitutional? + The NCAA’s Eligibility Fight Continues

    The NCAA’s eligibility fight isn’t slowing down — and neither are the lawsuits. This week on uNILateral Decisions, Joe, Mike and Sam break down the NCAA’s transition rule and the growing wave of litigation surrounding the move to the new five-for-five eligibility model. Why does it matter that the NCAA’s transition rule wasn’t actually included in its bylaws? We look at several major cases across the country and how courts are handling arguments over breach of contract, antitrust law and the Class of 2022. With appeals moving forward and athletes racing against the clock, could we finally be getting closer to some kind of precedent? The conversation also comes back to the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) and its potential impact on these fights. Could an antitrust exemption change the landscape surrounding revenue sharing and other NCAA rules? And after doing more research since last week’s episode, Sam has changed his position on one major question: Is the PCSA constitutional? Plus, the guys debate whether the NCAA should simply stop fighting and grant the Class of 2022 another year of eligibility — or whether, after investing this much into the legal battle, it makes sense to see the fight through. We cover the NCAA transition rule, five-for-five eligibility, the Class of 2022 lawsuits, contract vs. antitrust claims, the importance of economic evidence, appellate stays, the PCSA’s proposed antitrust protections, private non-delegation concerns and what could finally bring some clarity to college sports eligibility.

  3. Sep 25

    The PCSA Could Pass the Senate — What Changed?

    The PCSA is closer than ever to becoming law. After passing all five procedural votes in the Senate with at least 70 votes each, the bill could be headed for a final Senate vote as early as next week. This week on uNILateral Decisions, the crew breaks down what changed to generate that level of support and what happens next if the bill makes it through the Senate. They dig into the reported amendments to the PCSA, including provisions surrounding conference expansion, MMRs and associated entities counting against the compensation cap, and questions around potential limits on coaching salaries. The conversation also covers some of the biggest pieces of the bill for college athletes, including 5-for-5 eligibility, the one-time transfer rule, the athlete compensation pool, and agent registration and certification. Finally, it’s time for a uNILateral Decision: Fast forward to December. The House has taken up the bill, every vote has been cast except yours, and your vote determines whether the PCSA becomes law. How are you voting?

  4. Sep 18

    The Other Side of the Eligibility Fight

    This week on uNILateral Decisions, Joe Nickell, Mike Walsh, and Sam Ehrlich dig into the other side of the eligibility chaos — the cases where athletes didn’t receive an extra year. While headlines make it seem like every lawsuit leads to a fifth season, the reality is far more complicated, and the hosts break down why certain courts are pushing back. The conversation centers on the three major categories of eligibility litigation: the massive wave of class‑of‑2022 lawsuits, JUCO‑year disputes inspired by Diego Pavia and Tristan Smith, and the increasingly contentious cases involving former professional athletes. Sam walks through how these categories intersect, why some courts are granting relief, and why others are shutting the door. They also unpack the “big three” states — Tennessee, Georgia, and Ohio — where appellate courts have issued stays on previously granted injunctions, creating a national split in how judges view breach‑of‑contract claims, property‑interest arguments, and the NCAA’s role as a private association with monopsony power. The hosts explore how personal jurisdiction, shifting plaintiffs between states, and massive multi‑athlete filings are shaping the litigation strategy. The episode wraps with a look at TROs vs. preliminary injunctions, the NCAA’s perfect record on appellate stays, and what happens next as athletes continue filing, courts diverge, and the Protect College Sports Act adds new layers of uncertainty. Topics include:The three major categories of eligibility lawsuits: class of 2022, JUCO‑year claims, and former prosWhy Tennessee, Georgia, and Ohio became the “big three” denialsHow appellate stays are reshaping the national landscapeThe evolving breach‑of‑contract argument — and why some courts no longer buy itPersonal jurisdiction battles and moving plaintiffs across statesTROs vs. preliminary injunctions — and why the injunction is the real ballgameThe NCAA’s success in securing appellate staysWhether athletes can refile in more favorable statesHow the Protect College Sports Act complicates eligibility going forwardJoe, Mike, and Sam’s uNILateral Decisions on what should happen next Subscribe for weekly conversations on NIL, athlete compensation, eligibility, governance, antitrust issues, and the rapidly changing business of college sports.

  5. Sep 11

    The Cases That Almost Gave Us Answers

    Some of the most interesting cases in college sports messed around… but stopped just short of finding out. This week on uNILateral Decisions, we’re looking back at the cases that could have given us real answers to some of the biggest unresolved questions in college athletics, if they had actually made it to a decision. From the SEC and LSU showdown to Demond Williams, Darian Mensah and Brendan Sorsby, we break down what each case could have decided and the precedent it might have created. Then we turn to two questions college sports still can’t seem to answer: Are college athletes employees? And will athletes ever successfully unionize? Finally, for this week’s uNILateral Decision: we were robbed of the chance to find out whether the SEC would actually vote to kick LSU out of the conference. We decide whether that vote needed to happen.

  6. Sep 3

    College Football’s All-Litigation Team

    College football has All-America teams, All-Conference teams… and now, apparently, it needs an All-Litigation Team. This week on uNILateral Decisions, Mike Walsh, Joe Nickell, Dominic Shelden and Sam Ehrlich draft the best and most intriguing players taking the field in 2026 because somewhere along the way, a judge said they could. From eligibility clocks and JUCO seasons to medical-hardship waivers, transfer restrictions and players attempting to return from the NFL, the guys break down the lawsuits, injunctions and court orders that are reshaping who gets to play college football — including one eligibility battle funded by Lil Wayne. Then, they turn to College Football’s Market Movers — the players whose decisions, deals and dollars are defining the player market in 2026. Dante Moore, Jeremiah Smith, Darian Mensah, Sam Leavitt, Bryce Underwood and others provide a look at everything from multimillion-dollar retention battles and transfer negotiations to the growing financial incentive for elite players to stay in college. Finally, the guys make their uNILateral Decision: What is one thing happening in today’s player market that college football should embrace rather than try to regulate away?

  7. Aug 27

    How Louisiana Is Changing Athlete Protection with Olivia Nuss

    This week on uNILateral Decisions, Mike Walsh, Joe Nickell, and Sam Ehrlich sit down with Olivia Nuss, Assistant Attorney General in Louisiana, to break down the state’s sweeping new approach to regulating NIL agents — a framework that could reshape athlete protection across college sports. The conversation digs into why Louisiana moved first, what problems the law is designed to solve, and how the absence of national standards has allowed predatory behavior to flourish in the NIL marketplace. The hosts explore the realities behind NIL deal‑making, including the rise of unregulated agents, the financial risks facing high school and college athletes, and the legal gaps left by outdated federal statutes like UAAA and SPARTA. Olivia walks through the details of Louisiana’s new registration system — from background checks and training modules to disclosure requirements and enforcement powers — and explains why state‑level oversight has become the only viable path while the NCAA remains unable to regulate third‑party actors. Topics include: Why NIL agents have operated with little oversight — and how that created space for predatory contractsLouisiana’s new agent‑registration system and mandatory training requirementsHow background checks, disclosures, and public registries aim to protect high school and college athletesThe legal limitations of UAAA and SPARTA in the modern NIL eraWhy the NCAA cannot regulate NIL agents without major antitrust exposureExamples of exploitative NIL deals and long‑term athlete lock‑insThe role of the Attorney General’s office in enforcement, penalties, and athlete remediesHow state‑level regulation could influence future federal legislation Subscribe for weekly conversations on NIL, athlete compensation, eligibility, governance, antitrust issues, and the rapidly changing business of college sports.

  8. Aug 20

    The NCAA Created an Eligibility Disaster

    Dominic Shelden, Mike Walsh, Sam Ehrlich and Joe Nickell are back to break down another chaotic week in college sports. The NCAA’s new five-years-to-play-five rule has created immediate fallout, with members of the 2022 class fighting for another season of eligibility — and winning in courtrooms across the country. Some players who had already moved on to NFL camps are now being allowed to return to college football, while new lawsuits are challenging transfer restrictions and forcing the NCAA to defend even more of its rulebook. Sam breaks down why courts continue ruling against the NCAA, what the pending Tenth Circuit decision could mean, and why these cases could have implications well beyond the 2022 class. The group also discusses how coaches handle players unexpectedly returning at the end of fall camp, the challenges these late roster changes create for the NIL and collectibles industries, whether the NCAA’s transfer portal window could be the next rule to fall, and whether all of this chaos actually improves the chances of federal legislation passing. Plus, the Unilateral Decision: If you’re a coach with a full roster and a former player suddenly becomes eligible to return, do you make room for them? Joe has a solution. It gets cold-blooded.

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About

Where College Athletics Meets Legal Reality Timely breakdowns of legal decisions and their impact on the NCAA, schools and student athletes.

Information

  • Creator
    The Stable Media
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Stable Media
  • Show Website
    uNILateral Decisions

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