Cody Simonton

WNBA Players’ Strike—Not Lockout—Likely at Stake in Labor Dispute WNBA Strike vs. Lockout. There are two types of sports work stoppages, and for this WNBA moment, lockout is both less likely and more commonly used.

As students in my labor & employment law course at UNH Law know, we spend a lot of time on lockouts and strikes and how they're not synonymous. The WNBA labor dispute is about a potential strike, not a lockout. WNBA & players can also operate their league—for years—with an expired CBA:

House Settlement Appeal Argues Title IX Violated by Payments The House settlement, which has reshaped college sports, is accused of violating Title IX in a Ninth Circuit appeal, but there are rebuttals.

If successful, the appeal of the House Settlement to the Ninth Circuit would upend the new NCAA system, with litigation going back to the docket and amateurism returning. The appeal is based on Title IX. But does Title IX apply to an antitrust settlement? My take for @sportico.bsky.social :

NBA Scandal May Push Congress Back Into Sports Betting Debate Congress has usually punted sports betting law issues to states. The NBA gambling scandal could change that.

For most of the country's history, Congress has punted sports betting law to the states. That could change in the wake of the NBA gambling scandal. The federal government could play a more instrumental role. But would states then sue? My @sportico.bsky.social take: www.sportico.com/law/analysis....

NBA Gambling Investigation Renews Spotlight on Tanking The NBA gambling scandal involving Terry Rozier and Damon Jones also details alleged tanking plans.

Gambling isn’t the only eye-catching part of Thursday’s federal indictment in the NBA betting case. It also puts tanking back in the spotlight by alleging that the 2022-23 Blazers intentionally lost games (and leaked inside info about said strategy)

My take:
www.sportico.com/leagues/bask...

“The integrity of the game is paramount to NBA players, but so is the presumption of innocence, and both are hindered when player popularity is misused to gain attention. We will ensure our members are protected and afforded their due process rights through this process,” - NBPA

you've gotta admit the NCAA has an incredible sense of comic timing

The @nba.com has placed Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier on “immediate leave” amid gambling charges. Full statement below:

NBA Gambling Probes Lead to Arrests of Billups, Rozier and Jones In a major scandal for the NBA, Terry Rozier, Chauncey Billups and Damon Jones have been arrested for allegedly furthering illegal gambling.

Expect to see the NBA criticized for not catching illegal gambling, but remember leagues lack the powers—including the power to intimidate witnesses—of the feds.

My @sportico.bsky.social take on today's huge NBA news + what it means for prop bets, which even betting advocates admit are problematic:

the NBA wishes it only had the Kawhi scandal now

"Trump is coming. He's coming...Anybody that has seen his reactions from the sports leagues and the positions that people have taken, they are not surprised at what's going on today...this is just the tip of the iceberg" - Stephen A. Smith

FBI director Kash Patel: “We are here in New York to announce a historic arrest across a wide, sweeping criminal enterprise that envelops both the NBA and La Cora Nostra.”

Adds it involves the Bonanno, Gambino, Genovese and Luchese crime families.

The official charges against Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups are money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy.

He will appear in Federal Court in Portland later this afternoon and be arraigned on his indictment in Brooklyn at a future date, according to the FBI.

BUMP

Ya! I think its official... The NBA has a gambling crisis going on.

Ohio Lawsuit Challenging High School NIL Ban Is No Sure Thing The mother of a high school football star is challenging the legality of Ohio being one of only six states to ban NIL deals for high school athletes

Brown v. OHSSA challenges Ohio's prohibition on high school athletes signing NIL deals. The case could end if Ohio drops its ban, but if that doesn't happen, it presents an interesting legal question: Does amateurism carry more weight at the high school level? My @sportico.bsky.social column:

The Predator in the Church Basement A millionaire pedophile. A famed high school basketball program. A historic church. Inside the child sex abuse scandal that, decades later, continues.

It's an honor to have a byline in @rollingstone.com—that's not something I ever expected to happen in my career—but much more important is the chance to help @lukecyphers.bsky.social expose a major scandal at a youth basketball program and, we hope, help to bring some justice to the survivors.

All this talk of private equity entering college sports often overlooks the legal ramifications: College athletes will be able to more persuasively argue they're employees of their schools and their conference, and they constitute a labor market under antitrust law: www.sportico.com/law/analysis....

From 2025 league MVP to Finals MVP 🏆

A'ja Wilson averaged 28.5 PTS, 11.8 REB, and 2 BLK against the Mercury and is named Finals MVP for the 2nd time in her career

#WelcometotheW | WNBA Finals | YouTube TV

Leo lights

A'ONE OF ONE ✨

A'ja is the ONLY player with 300 points in a single WNBA postseason! 👏

Bill Belichick and Bubba Cunningham statements saying that he has committed to North Carolina and they are committed to him

1) Real
2) Lol
3) It's Week 7 of Year 1

Even in the 1950s, when the NBA was earning one-tenth (in 2025 dollars) what the WNBA makes today, it still paid players 40% of total revenue, a startling contrast to the 7% WNBA players get.”

If W players got 50% of revenue, star players, “should each be earning more than $3 million per year.”

Players Get Paid As Collectives Abandon Waiting for NIL Go At least two NIL collectives have begun to pay players before the submitted deals have been approved in the clearinghouse.

NEW: Collectives have given up on waiting for NIL Go.

At least two NIL collectives have begun to pay players before the submitted deals have been approved in NIL GO, sources tell @FOS. Another is preparing to do so. frontofficesports.com/fed-up-nil-c...

The written version of Napheesa Collier’s statement.

I don’t know how Cathy Engelbert survives this.

Vanderbilt Keeps Winning While Its Players Sue the NCAA Last year, Diego Pavia challenged the NCAA’s eligibility rules and set off a firestorm. Some of his teammates are suing now, too.

NEW: Vandy use to be the laughingstock of the SEC. But now, they're 4-0 and ranked 18th.

At the helm is QB Diego Pavia, who filed a watershed lawsuit against the NCAA last year to grant him extra eligibility. Now, two of his teammates are suing as well.
frontofficesports.com/vanderbilt-w...

also, I'm sure he had "tons" of leverage justifying the 5 year deal that "had" to get done a few weeks before the season starts (and he ever coaches a game), cuz... thats when all the coaches would want to switch jobs. 🙄

Arizona State’s Poa Defeats Motion to Dismiss NIL Immigration Suit A federal judge has denied the government's motion to dismiss Last-Tear Poa's lawsuit for a change in visa status to more readily sign NIL deals.

International college athletes are limited in earning NIL money due to visa restrictions, but ASU basketball player Last-Tear Poa, who is from Australia, has brought a federal case that could change that. She gets past the feds at motion to dismiss stage. I discsuss for @sportico.bsky.social: