Protecting Your Possibilities

Every March, the NCAA kicks off one of the most exciting championships of the year, the NCAA Basketball Tournament — also known as March Madness®. This is the first basketball tournament in which student-athletes are able to earn compensation from their NIL. As the NCAA is always aggressive in protecting their branding, they will have to ensure student-athletes are not using the NCAA’s protected marks without permission. In this ep...

When athletes are presented with deals, do they really need to hire their own attorney if their agency already has one of their own? It’s important to think through who the agency lawyer is working for — is it the athlete or the agency? As Luke explains, every lawyer has the ethical obligation to put their client's best interests first. Athletes should make sure they are being served as the client. Listen to this episode to learn w...

We’ve been hearing about non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for a while now – but what exactly are they, and how do they fit into the sports world? One of the best examples is to think about an NFT as a digital trading card. Athletes and others who can benefit from NFTs have multiple considerations to think about – compensation models, anti-money laundering, college students involved in name, image and likeness. Listen to this episode of P...

Name, image and likeness opportunities for student athletes continue to expand and push new boundaries. NIL collectives have popped up across the country offering substantial financial deals for athletes. How are these collectives structured, and how do they work? Is there a limit on what student athletes can be paid, or is this the wild, wild west? Luke answers these questions and more in this episode of the Protecting Your Possib...

There is currently only one Black head coach in the NFL. One. In a league of 32 teams made up of a majority of Black players, there is currently only one Black head coach. As we head into February’s Black History Month, and reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Luke discusses the importance of why it matters to have diverse representation at the head coaching level of the NFL. Luke talks about how we need to have these diffic...

Name, image and likeness deals have been signed – and athletes are taking their positions. What happens when their season doesn’t go as expected, they don’t get as much playing time, or their performance isn’t what others expected? Luke talks about how to deal with these situations and how that can affect the money student athletes are making in this episode of Protecting Your Possibilities.

Read the full episode transcript here.

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As we kick off the holiday season and spend time giving thanks, Luke thought it was important to reset the conversation and share why he’s so thankful for the work he does each and every day.

Read the full episode transcript here.

Listen to the episode with Courtney Altemus on choosing an advisor, and the episode with Courtney Scott on the College Basketball Parents Association.

Find Luke on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

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Athletes are often approached to invest in a business – by friends, family and others. How do you know what a good investment deal looks like? What documents should you review? How do you get paid? What are you actually buying? Luke and colleague Ryan Steele talk about these deals, what to look for, and how to protect yourself when making a business investment.

Read the full episode transcript here.

Find Luke on LinkedIn, Twitter a...

Athletes are often asked to put their name behind a brand, or want to commercialize their own brand. When this happens, it is important to consider various legal measures to ensure your name and your brand are protected. Spoiler alert: a quick search on the US Patent and Trademark Office’s website isn’t all you need to consider! In this episode, Luke talks to colleague Liane Rousseau about the factors athletes need to consider when...

For many people, selecting a financial advisor is a challenging task. For athletes, it is even more challenging because the impact of a bad decision could have significant negative long term effects. In this episode, Luke discusses some ideas and shares some tips regarding interviewing and selecting financial advisors.

Read the full episode transcript here.

Find Luke on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

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In Sept 2021, the National Labor Relations Board general counsel stated in a memo that college athletes at private institutions should be considered employees and should have the right to act collectively to improve their conditions. In this episode, Luke and guest Jyllian Bradshaw, an attorney who focuses in employment issues and labor relations, discuss the impact this memo can have in the college sports industry. The conversatio...

Real estate is often an easy choice for athletes to get involved in. Understanding the risks associated with owning real estate either for short term or long term growth is important, and knowing how to protect yourself as you purchase properties and get involved in real estate deals can be tricky. In this episode, Luke explains what to understand before getting involved in real estate transactions, and how to set up a business bas...

In this week's episode, Luke talks about what is really happening in this new name, image and likeness world. As he is out speaking to athletes across the country, questions like these are popping up: Are athletes really engaging in NIL? Is this really happening? How should I move forward? How do I plan for taxes? How do I decide if I should have someone manage my brand? What if I am an international student - can I still be compen...

Athletes are constantly presented with business deals or business investment opportunities. Having a defined decision-making process can help provide the athlete with the ability to make an informed and educated decision. In this episode, Luke shares a repeatable decision-making process and applies that process to how an athlete might think about business investments that have been presented.

Read the full episode transcript here.

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One month into the new name, image and likeness (NIL) world, one of the common questions from student-athletes is understanding how to get involved in NIL. In this episode, Luke explores ways in which student-athletes can evaluating how to navigate name image and likeness. He also provides some insights around ways to engage in this new NIL environment such as: how do I get into it, what if I don’t have a large social media followi...

In this episode, host Luke Fedlam explores where name, image and likeness (NIL) changes are potentially heading in the future. The discussion explores the future of federal legislation related to NIL and the impact of having NIL managed by individual institutions. 

Read the full episode transcript here.

Find Luke on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

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Athletes and celebrities are often the target of people wanting them to buy into franchises. A common misconception about owning a franchise is that it will operate itself.  Unfortunately, that’s not true. In this episode, Luke shares some tips on how to analyze your decision regarding a franchise, prior to buying into one. Understanding the challenges and having some helpful advice will help you navigate the process of getting int...

Protecting Your Possibilities Podcast is one year old! In this episode, Luke takes a looks back over the past year’s episodes of PYP. Over the past 12 months, college and professional sports have experienced significant change and PYP was there to discuss them. Luke also looks forward to the changes yet to come in the sports world. Bottom line: thank you for your support over the past year!

Read the full episode transcript here.

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