Irrevocable but Unenforceable? Collegiate Athletic Conferences' Grant of Rights
This article was published in the Harvard Law School's Journal of Sports & Entertainment Law.
This article examines the Grant of Rights, a legal document that college football conferences currently use to prevent "conference realignment," or the practice of the colleges and universities that make up the conference moving to another conference. The Grant of Rights has been heralded as the document that will bring an end to conference realignment, but this Article challenges both the legal and practical effectiveness of the Grant of Rights.
Both conferences and member schools can make more informed—or strategic—decisions regarding conference membership by understanding the factors underlying conference realignment and the assumptions essential to the effectiveness of the Grant of Rights. This article presents those factors and assumptions in detail and suggests modified legal terms and additional mechanisms for preventing conference realignment.