Michael H. LeRoy | DEV-College of Law | Illinois

Gender pay disparities create liabilities, LeRoy writes in new article

Chris Davies — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 18:52:19 +0000

Title IX requires schools to eliminate gender disparities, but NCAA men’s basketball players in major conferences were paid 10 times more NIL money than their counterparts on women’s basketball teams. Professor Michael LeRoy examines the disparities in NIL payments and how they are creating liabilities for schools in his latest article published in the University of Cincinnati Law Review. “The NCAA has not addressed the massive inequalities that are structurally built into the athletic departments of all Power Four conference schools, where men are paid much more than women,” LeRoy writes.

Read the full article online.

ESPN quotes LeRoy on college athlete contracts

Chris Davies — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 20:00:09 +0000

A federal judge is nearing a decision on an antitrust settlement between the NCAA and college athletes, and contracts signed by athletes might actually strengthen their case for collective bargaining rights. In an article examining the arguments of both sides, ESPN quoted Professor Michael LeRoy, who said, “It’s employment on its face. There’s no masking it.”

LeRoy publishes new article and presents findings on NIL

Law News — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 19:15:00 +0000

Professor Michael LeRoy’s latest research “Are Collectives Joint Employers of College Athletes? An Empirical Analysis of NIL Deals and School Policies,” will be published in a leading sports journal, Marquette Sports Law Review. His study is based on a dataset of NIL deals from an anonymized power five xonference athletic program; it shows that in 2022-23, 91% of NIL money went to football and men’s basketball players and deal signing dates were in compressed periods that are like contract signings for NFL and NBA players. He concludes that these two sports should be treated differently from other men’s and women’s sports by courts, the NLRB, and Congress, as evidence suggests NIL collectives are joint employers with the school for these sports. LeRoy was also able to present this research recently to the Chicago Bar Association Sports Law Committee.

New York Times quotes LeRoy on changes in college football

Law News — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 19:30:00 +0000

When the 2023 season concludes in college football, the game may never look the same again. Teams will switch long-time conference allegiances, players will switch teams, some conferences may cease to exist, and the playoff system will triple in size. This upheaval is triggered by money: money from television contracts and money on offer to students in the form of NIL (name, image and likeness) deals. In their examination of the changes at hand, the New York Times quoted Professor Michael LeRoy, who was unsparing in his criticism of the current state of college football. “This has become a soulless enterprise,” LeRoy said. “There is no moral compass. There is no brotherhood. Now you eat off your brother’s plate and you don’t care if he goes hungry.”

Read the full article from the New York Times.