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Callan G. Stein

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Cal's broad litigation and investigation practice encompasses white collar criminal matters, corporate and commercial civil litigation, internal investigations, and health care litigation. Cal frequently represents and advises higher education clients, particularly in areas related to collegiate athletics and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights and compliance. Cal provides NIL compliance advice and internal investigation services to major universities, including those that participate in Division I football and basketball, and likewise advises schools on athletics contracts, conference affiliations, conference realignment, and other NCAA-related issues. Cal also represents and advises businesses on NIL contracts, as well as NIL collectives on formation and compliance matters. Cal hosts the firm's "Highway to NIL" podcast that discusses the legal landscape and developments in the area of NIL law.

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Recently, Pennsylvania’s Saint Francis University announced its decision to reclassify its intercollegiate athletics program from NCAA Division I to Division III, citing the difficulty in governance associated with college athletics, which is only growing in “complexity based on realities like the transfer portal, pay-for-play, and other shifts that move athletics away from love of the game.” Saint Francis is the first school to reclassify its athletics programs in response to the pending House settlement.

Recently, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia denied a request from a D-1 baseball player for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the NCAA related to his eligibility, as well as a preliminary injunction for the same. Dylan Goldstein, an outfielder for his school’s baseball team, sought immediate reinstatement for the 2024-2025 academic year after exhausting his eligibility under current NCAA Bylaws.

One major issue underlying the pending House v. NCAA settlement is its impact on international students on F-1 student visas (academic student). As analyzed in a previous episode of Highway to NIL, if approved, the House settlement will allow Division I schools to directly compensate their student-athletes for their name, image, and likeness (NIL) as part of a revenue-sharing system. However, international students may jeopardize their status within the U.S. if they accept this money.

NIL Revolution is a comprehensive blog dedicated to analyzing the ever-evolving legal landscape of college athletics. From breaking news and current events to compliance and enforcement insights, our authors provide in-depth analysis of issues within the college athletics domain, with a particular focus on the regulation of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights for student-athletes.

The Highway to NIL Podcast analyzes the legal landscape concerning college athletics and the regulation of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights of student athletes. The podcast provides key insights into the current state of affairs, focusing on the NIL guidance and policies coming directly from the NCAA; the various passed and amended state NIL laws; and NIL enforcement, including how the NCAA, state attorneys general, and other regulators may investigate and punish schools for NIL violations.

Six former East Mississippi Community College football players who appeared in the documentary series Last Chance U have sued the school, Netflix, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and the documentary’s executive director in Los Angeles County Superior Court over their portrayal of the athletes. Plaintiffs John Franklin III, Ronald Ollie, C.J. Reavis, Deandre Johnson, Tim Bonner, and Isaiah Wright, all of whom played football at East Mississippi Community College in 2015 and 2016, allege the defendants wrongfully misappropriated their likeness and that they were not compensated for their work. In total, the plaintiffs are seeking $30 million in damages.

Twenty-seven days after the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) of the outgoing Biden administration issued long-awaited Title IX guidance relating to name, image, and likeness (NIL) payments by schools and third-party collectives and/or boosters, the DOE Office for Civil Rights (OCR) under the Trump administration officially rescinded the nine-page guidance document. We addressed and discussed the DOE’s guidance and its implications in a recent episode of Highway to NIL.

The Highway to NIL Podcast analyzes the legal landscape concerning college athletics and the regulation of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights of student athletes. The podcast provides key insights into the current state of affairs, focusing on the NIL guidance and policies coming directly from the NCAA; the various passed and amended state NIL laws; and NIL enforcement, including how the NCAA, state attorneys general, and other regulators may investigate and punish schools for NIL violations.

The Highway to NIL Podcast analyzes the legal landscape concerning college athletics and the regulation of name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights of student athletes. The podcast provides key insights into the current state of affairs, focusing on the NIL guidance and policies coming directly from the NCAA; the various passed and amended state NIL laws; and NIL enforcement, including how the NCAA, state attorneys general, and other regulators may investigate and punish schools for NIL violations.