Join us in Boston on November 5–6 for the Sports Lawyers Association’s 2026 Fall Symposium, where we explore the rapidly evolving frontier of sports law. This year’s theme brings together the forces transforming the global sports industry — emerging technologies, shifting business models, and the accelerating international reach of leagues, athletes, and markets.
The 2026 Symposium will convene leading voices from across many facets of sports to examine the legal, commercial, and regulatory challenges shaping this new era. Attendees will engage with experts driving innovation at the intersection of business and sport law, participate in sessions designed for real‑time problem‑solving, and connect with peers who are defining the future of the profession.
The event will be held at the Sheraton Boston, 39 Dalton Street, Boston, MA, with a room rate of $349 + tax.
Register now and make your plans for Boston.
(All times Eastern)
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Opening Reception
7:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Registration
8:45 AM – 9:30 AM
Breakfast
9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Rewriting the Game Plan: Growth, Relevance, and Reinvention in Modern Sports
How are leagues, conferences, and brands adapting their business and legal strategies in the evolving competitive landscape of sports? This panel will explore the most pressing developments in this newest era of sports law and business, including the transformation of NCAA athletics, the emergence and expansion of new sports leagues, and the growing role of private equity in collegiate and professional sports. Panelists will share experiences and best practices related to these opportunities, with particular attention to how attorneys can help clients innovate to increase fandom and build revenue while minimizing risk.
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Beyond Broadcast: Streaming Wars, Media Rights, and the Next Era of Distribution
As traditional broadcasting models collide with the streaming economy, sports leagues, networks, and tech platforms are reshaping how fans consume live sports. This panel will examine the evolving sports media rights landscape, including key extensions, consolidation, and the rise of direct-to-consumer streaming platforms. Panelists will also discuss a shift away from traditional pay-per-view models toward streaming-exclusive distribution, as well as emerging strategies for intellectual property monetization and digital content licensing. The session will further explore antitrust and regulatory questions tied to media consolidation, exclusive rights agreements, and the continued relevance of the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Pathways to Sports Law (optional)
Law students, attorneys up to five years or fewer of practice, or attorneys exploring careers in sports law.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
When the World Comes to Town: The Legal Playbook for Global Sports Events
Major sporting events increasingly require cities, leagues, teams, governments, sponsors, and venue operators to function cohesively under intense global scrutiny. This panel goes beyond event operations to examine the legal and business realities behind hosting large-scale international sporting events: government coordination, public-private partnerships, crisis management, immigration and diplomacy concerns, pricing controversies, security planning, sponsor demands, and the pressure of managing global fan expectations in real time. Panelists will share practical insights from recent and upcoming events and discuss how U.S. and international sports properties are navigating cross-border growth while balancing political, economic, and reputational risk.
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
The Evolving Betting Ecosystem: Integrity, Innovation, and the New Regulatory Reality
Sports wagering no longer exists at the margins of sports; it increasingly sits at the center. As partnerships with operators expand, prediction markets and emerging products gain momentum, and fan engagement models continue to grow, stakeholders are navigating a rapidly changing legal and regulatory landscape that extends far beyond traditional sportsbooks and point spreads. The line between innovation and intrusion continues to blur as real-time analytics, wearable technology, and AI-powered insights become increasingly integrated into wagering and fan experiences. From athlete conduct and harassment concerns to emerging regulatory frameworks and lessons from global markets, this session will examine the evolving legal, business, and policy challenges facing leagues, operators, media companies, regulators, and other stakeholders as they balance innovation and commercial growth against integrity, ethics, and reputation.
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Refreshment Break
3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Transforming the Future for Athletes: Collective Bargaining and Player Rights
What do pro tennis, college sports, the UFC, MLB and the WNBA have in common? All are facing or recently faced crossroads moments in athlete relations that are changing or threaten to change the way they do business. As the sports landscape continues evolving, so too does the framework governing athlete rights and collective bargaining agreements. This panel will delve into some of the most pressing developments in collective bargaining and athlete negotiations, contrasting the dynamics in North American sports with international models. Attendees will gain insights into protections and rights being sought by athletes, how lawyers advance the interests of athletes and leagues in negotiations, and what the future holds for athlete relations.
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Inside Expansion: What It Takes to Launch a Team
As leagues continue to expand globally and emerging sports reshape the professional landscape, lawyers are increasingly at the center of franchise launches, team relocations, venue negotiations, and cross-border growth strategies. This panel brings together executives from established and emerging sports organizations and leagues to discuss the legal, business, and operational realities behind developing sports franchises. The conversation will explore how legal departments navigate league governance, ownership structures, expansion agreements, venue and municipal negotiations, sponsorship and media considerations, labor and employment issues, intellectual property strategy, and fan/community engagement during periods of significant organizational change.
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Reception, Sponsored by Gold Sponsor, Ropes & Gray
8:15 AM – 9:00 AM
Breakfast
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Leading Through Complexity: An Executive Panel on Risk, Strategy, and the Business of Sports
Some of the most consequential legal decisions in sports are made not in courtrooms or law firms, but in the offices of owners, presidents, commissioners, and athletics directors. This candid executive panel brings together leaders from various sports organizations to discuss how legal considerations shape organizational strategy, governance, and long-term decision-making at the highest levels. From facilities and contracts to the evolving regulatory environment, panelists will offer frank perspectives on how they identify legal risk, engage counsel, and weigh business operations in real time. This session offers a rare window into how the people who run sports organizations think about the law.
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Accelerating Change: Title IX, Governance, and the Rise of Women’s Sports
Women's sports are experiencing a period of unprecedented commercial growth, institutional investment, and cultural visibility. This panel will examine the legal forces driving and complicating that growth across professional, collegiate, and interscholastic athletics. Panelists will address Title IX's evolving application and enforcement landscape, federal legislative and executive activity affecting women's and Olympic sports, and the legal and business infrastructure such as sponsorship, media rights, athlete representation, and beyond, that will determine whether the current momentum is sustainable. The session will also explore how athletes, advocates, and counsel are engaging at the institutional, league, and policy levels to shape what comes next.
11:00 AM
Meeting Adjourns
| Registration Pricing | Before October 16 | After October 16 |
|
|
||
| REGULAR REGISTRATION: Regular membership in the Sports Lawyers Association shall include only attorneys who are licensed to practice law before the highest court of any jurisdiction. | ||
| Member | $499 | $525 |
| Member with 2027 renewal | $825 | $850 |
| Non-Member with 2027 Membership | $900 | $925 |
|
|
||
| ASSOCIATE REGISTRATION: An Associate is a person in the ordinary course of business that is affiliated with or has a legitimate interest in sports law and not actively engaged in practicing law.. | ||
| Associate | $550 | $575 |
| Associate with 2027 renewal | $950 | $975 |
| Non-Member Associate with 2027 Membership | $999 | $1025 |
|
|
||
| LAW PROFESSOR REGISTRATION: A Law Professor is a person serving as a full educator at an accredited college or university, and not actively engaged in practicing law. | ||
| Law Professor | $450 | $475 |
| Law Professor with 2027 renewal | $550 | $575 |
| Non-Member Law Professor with 2027 Membership | $600 | $625 |
|
|
||
| STUDENT REGISTRATION: A Student is any full-time law student enrolled at an accredited school of law. | ||
| Students | $175 | $200 |
| Students with 2027 renewal | $250 | $275 |
| Non-Member Students with 2027 Membership | $275 | $300 |
|
|
||
|
NEW LAWYER REGISTRATION: A New Lawyer is a recent graduate who has passed their Bar exam within 2 years of their graduation. If you are looking to register as a New Lawyer, you must first join the SLA and then register at the New Lawyer rate. Questions, please reach out to Melissa Pomerene at melissa@pomerenemgmt.com |
||
| New Lawyer | $499 | $525 |
Registration and attendance at the Sports Lawyers Association Conference constitutes an agreement by the registrant to the SLA's use and distribution (both now and in the future) of the registrant or attendee's image or voice in photos, images, video, and/or audio recordings of such events without compensation or approval rights. All photos, images, and recordings are the property of SLA.
Commissioner, Horizon League
Replace this text with Jill Bodensteiner's full biography...