Higher education and collegiate athletics attorney Jamel Greer in the Los Angeles and Chicago offices spoke with Law360 about the top collegiate sports cases the legal world will be watching in 2023, including several revolving around NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) governance, and litigation specific to concussion and catastrophic injuries in collegiate sports.

The sports and betting world will closely follow a pair of consolidated class actions in college athletics related to concussion liability and NIL rights, as well as trademark infringement cases that could tilt the playing field across sports and gaming. Greer specifically provided his insight as to how the recent ruling in the Matthew Gee wrongful death case will impact the approach to and the results of similar cases. Additionally, Greer previewed litigation surrounding NIL and what the future may hold for those invested in collegiate athletics.  

Law360 wrote: "Resolving these cases could make 2023 a watershed year for athletes' earning rights, said Jamel A.R. Greer, associate at Akerman LLP and expert in collegiate athletics and governmental affairs."

"'Is this the line we're going to stay at, or will we see movement on what the student-athlete can and cannot do?' he said, adding that with the shifts in the college football landscape and the continued fight for equity for women athletes, the decisions in the NIL cases 'will be a game-changer.'"