When the NFL opted out of the current collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA, the stage was set for contentious negotiations lasting well into the 2009 season and potentially beyond. A labor-related stoppage or lock-out could result from the failure to come to terms. The topic for this year's sports law panel will be the present state of labor negotiations within the NFL. Speakers will explain each side's bargaining position in the conflict over whether the players or the team owners are asking for too much money--the owners predict an economic crisis, while the players (using an economic study of league profits) claim the owners have never had it so good. Perhaps the real Super Bowl for sports lawyers will take place around the bargaining table.
Business Meeting at Program Conclusion.