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Alicia Jessop Faculty Profile

Alicia Jessop

Associate Professor of Sport Administration
Communication Division, Seaver College
CCB 211
310.506.7795

Biography

Alicia Jessop is a sport industry leader, attorney, journalist and professor focused on promoting athlete, creator and consumer well-being and women’s leadership in the sport and entertainment industries. Presently an Associate Professor at Pepperdine University, where she is an Academic Director for the Institute for Entertainment, Media, and Sports, Alicia is licensed to practice law in California and Colorado and is frequently engaged to address legal issues at the intersection of sport and entertainment.

At the root of Alicia’s existence and central to her work, is a passion for storytelling. In 2011, she founded the widely read sport business website, RulingSports.com, beginning a foray into journalism. Presently, Alicia is a Contributor to The Athletic and The Washington Post and has published hundreds of stories that can also be found in Forbes, The Huffington Post, SI.com and CNBC. Alicia has excelled in the male-dominated sport journalism field, having been credentialed for the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, NBA All-Star Game, Bundesliga Super Cup, Indianapolis 500, NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four and more. She spent four seasons covering the Miami Heat, while also working as an Assistant Professor at the University of Miami. Alicia is an often relied upon expert in the areas of sport law and sport business and frequently appears in national and international television shows, radio shows, publications and podcasts.

Alicia has first-hand experience building programs and strategies to empower athletes. She consulted with the National Basketball Players Association to build a holistic program for NBA players transitioning out of the league and the Alliance of American Football to build a player career and education model. She has worked with individual professional athletes to develop their legal and personal branding strategies. She also consults with a number of sport technology companies and is on the Advisory Board of Openly HQ.

Alicia’s research on athlete, creator and consumer well-being and women’s leadership has been published in the Harvard Journal of Entertainment and Sports Law, Journal for Legal Aspects of Sport and Texas Review of Entertainment and Sport Law. In 2020 she received a grant from Women in Film to produce a study on the drivers and inhibitors of funding for entrepreneurs in the screen industry. She has authored textbook chapters in Introduction to Sport Law (2nd Edition) and Sport Law: A Managerial Approach (4th Edition).

Service to others is a keystone of Alicia’s life. She serves as the President of the Sport and Recreation Law Association and is on the Editorial Board of the Journal for Legal Aspects of Sport. She is a member of the Junior League of Los Angeles and Bel Air Church. Since 2014 she has been traveling to Haiti, where she has made lifelong friends and is committed to furthering the empowerment and economic development of the nation through support of the KORE Foundation.

Alicia is a 2006 graduate of the Colorado School of Mines, receiving a B.S. in Economics and being elected just the second female Student Body President in the university’s then 131-year history. She graduated cum laude from Chapman University School of Law, where she served as the Senior Symposium Editor of Chapman Law Review.

Education

  • Juris Doctor, Chapman University, 2009, Cum Laude

 

Published Journal Articles

  • Jessop, A. (2023, Forthcoming). NCAA v. Board of Regents 2.0: Potential Antitrust Law Claims Arising From the NCAA’s Regulation of College Athletes’ NIL. Oklahoma Law Review.   
  • Jessop, A., Baker, T.A., Holden, J., & Tweedie, J. (2023, August). Charting a New Path: Regulating College Athlete Name, Image and Likeness After NCAA v. Alston Through Collective Bargaining. Journal of Sport Management.
  • Jessop, A. (2023). Winning Incentives: Proposed Amendments to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and Equal Employment Opportunity Act to Foster Diverse Workplace Hiring and Promotion, University of Missouri Kansas City Law Review.
  • Jessop, A. (2023, April). Examining the Fourth Amendment and Biometric Data Privacy Law Implications of NCAA Athletes’ Mandated Use of Athlete Biometric Data Tracking Devices. Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal.
  • Jessop, A. (2022, April). International Intercollegiate Athletes: A Legal Pathway to Benefit From Their Name, Image and Likeness in the United States. California Western International Law Journal.
  • Jessop, A., & Sabin, J. (2021, August). The Sky Is Not Falling: Why Name, Image, and Likeness Legislation Does Not Violate Title IX and Could Narrow the Publicity Gap Between Men’s Sport and Women’s Sport Athletes. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport.  
  • Jessop, A. (2020, August). Fool Me Once, Shame On You; Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me: Why Congress Must Grant NCAA Athletes Group Licensing And Organization Rights in Name, Image and Likeness Legislation, Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law (Online).
  • Jessop, A., & Baker, T. (2019, October). Big Data Bust: Evaluating The Risks of Tracking NCAA Athletes’ Biometric Data, The Texas Review of Entertainment & Sports Law.
  • Jessop, A. (2019, August). Students First: The Need for Adoption of Education and Incentive-Based Sport Agent Policies by NCAA Division I FBS Member Institutions. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport.  
  • Jessop, A. (2018, February). 21st Century Stock Market: A Regulatory Model for Daily Fantasy Sports.  Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport. 

Book Chapters

  • Jessop, A. (2020). Chapter: Governance Issues in Professional Sport. Sport Law: A Managerial Approach, Fourth Edition. Routledge: Abingdon-on-Thames, United Kingdom.
  • Jessop, A. (2020). Chapter: Promotional and Operational Issues in Marketing. Sport Law: A Managerial Approach, Fourth Edition. Routledge: Abingdon-on-Thames, United Kingdom.
  • Jessop, A.  (2016).  Chapter: Labor Law. Introduction to Sport Law, Second Edition. Human Kinetics, Inc.:  Champaign, IL.

White Papers

  • Jessop, A. (2022). Women Entrepreneurs in the Screen Industries: Obstacles and Opportunities. Women in Film. 
  • Lori K. Miller Sport and Recreation Law Association Young Professional Award (2022)

  • Colorado School of Mines Young Alumnus Award (2013) 

Presentations at International Conferences: 

  • Jessop, A. (February 23, 2023). Conflict of Interest? Examining NCAA Athletics Departments’ Management of College Athletes’ Name, Image and Likeness Sponsorships, Sport and Recreation Law Association Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • Jessop, A. (September 7, 2022). A Comparative Analysis of Laws Governing NFTs: The E.U., U.K. and U.S., European Association of Sport Management Conference. Innsbruck, Austria. 
  • Jessop, A. (February 25, 2022). Buyer Beware: Proposed Regulations to Protect NFT Consumers’ Interests. Sport and Recreation Law Association Conference. Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Jessop, A. (February 26, 2021). When Zoom Goes Too Far: Examining NCAA Athletes’ Fourth Amendment Privacy Rights in a Post-COVID-19, Post-NIL Landscape. Sport and Recreation Law Association Conference. Virtual.
  • Bradish, C., Jessop, A. (September 22, 2020). Considering athlete rights and regulations post-COVID-19. European Association of Sport Management Conference. Virtual.
  • Jessop, A., Brison, N. (September 22, 2020) Examining global sport league strategy after the NBA’s fallout in China through the lens of sport branding. European Association of Sport Management Conference. Virtual.
  • Jessop, A. (March 7, 2020). Out of Bounds: Examining the Legality and Consequences of the NCAA’s Basketball Agent Certification Program. Presentation at the Sport and Recreation Law Association Conference. Louisville, KY.
  • Jessop, A., & Kunkel, T. (September 3, 2019). Organizational motivations and barriers of innovation through blockchain technology. Presentation at the European Association of Sport Management Conference. Seville, Spain.
  • Jessop, A. (February 28, 2019). Athlete biometric data in a post-PASPA world: Regulations to secure athlete privacy and sport integrity. Presentation at the Sport and Recreation Law Association Conference. Philadelphia, PA.
  • Jessop, A., & Kunkel, T. (February 28, 2019). Digital bobbleheads and in-arena mining: Assessing legal risks of American professional sport teams’ use of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. Presentation at the Sport and Recreation Law Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
  • Kunkel, T., & Jessop, A. (October 25, 2018). Leveraging blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies for organizational growth. Presentation at the Sport Marketing Association Conference, Dallas, TX.
  • Jessop, A. (March 1, 2018). Drawing the Line: Regulating the Use of Wearable Technology in the NCAA. Presentation at the Sport and Recreation Law Association Conference, San Antonio, TX.
  • Jessop, A. (November 2, 2017). Designing a Virtual Reality Platform to Increase Ticket Sales. Presentation at the Sport Marketing Association Conference, Boston, MA.
  • Dees, W., Jensen, J., Cornwell, B. & Jessop, A. (June 3, 2017). Social Issues and Sponsorship: A New Chapter in Sport Management Research. Presentation at the North American Society for Sport Management Conference, Denver, CO.
  • Jessop, A. (March 4, 2017). Field of Pay: Will Employment Law Provide NCAA Athletes Non-Scholarship Compensation? Presentation at the Sport and Recreation Law Association Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
  • Jessop, A., Martin, T. (February 17, 2017). Digital Arms Race: New Media’s Impact on Competitive Balance in Division I FBS Football. Presentation at the Global Sport Business Association Conference, Cozumel, Mexico.
  • Jessop, A. (November 3, 2016). Maximizing the Deal: Negotiation Strategies for Athletic Directors and Sport Apparel Brands. Presentation at the Sport Marketing Association Conference, Indianapolis, IN.
  • Dees, W., Jessop, A. & Martin, T. (June 4, 2016). Using Narrative Techniques To Increase Engagement In Sport Management Online Courses. Presentation at the North American Society for Sport Management Conference, Orlando, FL.
  • Jessop, A. (February 25, 2016). The Sport Industry’s New Wild West: Logical Regulations Solutions For The Daily Fantasy Sport Industry. Presentation at the Sport And Recreation Law Association Conference, New Orleans, LA.
  • Jessop, A., Roche, J., Soto, O. (February 20, 2016). Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect Anything:  Examining FBS Division I Athletics Departments’ Sport Agent Policies. Global Sport Business Association Conference, Nassau, Bahamas.
  • Jessop, A.  (April 20, 2015).  College Sports’ Glass Ceiling:  Causes For The Lack Of Women In Athletics Director Positions At Division I Institutions. Presentation at the College Sports Research Institute Conference, Columbia, SC.
  • Jessop, A.  (May 20, 2014).  No Cheering Matter:  The Legality and Ethics of NFL Cheerleaders’ Salaries.  Presentation at the Sport and Society in America Conference, Green Bay, WI.

Selected Invited Presentations

  • University of Kansas Sport Management Program, Legal Issues Related to College Athlete NIL, September 2023.
  • University of Tennessee College of Law, Legal Issues Related to College Athlete NIL, September 2023.
  • Waste Management, Be You: Practical Advice for Career Promotion from the Sport and Entertainment Industries, May 2023.
  • University of California at Irvine, Breaking into the Sport Industry, April 2023.
  • Chapman University Entertainment and Sports Law Symposium, The Athlete Entrepreneur and Sport League Start-Ups, April 2023.
  • The Washington & Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice Symposium, Activism in Athletics, November 2022.
  • Oklahoma Law Review Symposium, Name, Image, and Likeness in College Athletics, October 2022. 
  • American Bar Association Forum on the Entertainment and Sport Industries Conference, Legislation Update, October 2022.
  • Entertainment Evolution Symposium, Digital Opportunities: How NFTs Create Opportunities for Intercollegiate Athletes and Women, September 2022.
  • Los Angeles Tech Week – Sports in LA, Sports in LA: Investing, Founding and Growing, August 2022.
  • City National Bank Pro Sports Business Manager Summit, Current Issues in College Athletes’ Name, Image and Likeness, May 2022.
  • University of New Hampshire School of Law Sports Law Review Symposium, Keynote Speech: Current Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics, April 2022.
  • Villanova University School of Law, Careers in Sport Law, February 2022.
  • California Western School of Law International Law Journal Symposium, Keynote Speech: Publicity Rights for NCAA Athletes: A Way Forward, February 2022
  • The Robert Zicklin Center for Corporate Integrity at Baruch College, The Law and Ethics of Legal Sports Gambling in New York, February 2022.
  • Sundance Film Festival – Variety Stage (Virtual), Examining Women in Film’s Study About Gender Disparity in Film Funding, January 2022.
  • The Texas A&M Center for Sport Management Research And Education, Keynote Speech: The NCAA Mission Post-Name, Image and Likeness, October 2021. 
  • Royal Bank of Canada (Virtual), Current Issues in College Athletes’ Name, Image and Likeness, October 2021.
  • University of Southern Mississippi, The Law of NCAA Athlete Name, Image and Likeness Rights, September 2021.
  • University of Arizona, Antitrust Law and Intercollegiate and Professional Sport, February 2021.
  • Long Beach State University, Sport agency and the U.S. legal system, November 2020.
  • Oklahoma Christian University, NCAA athlete compensation and name, image and likeness legislation, October 2020.
  • Southern Methodist University, Perspectives on the NCAA approach to student-athlete name, image and likeness, June 2020.
  • Pennsylvania State University Football coaching staff, Updates on NCAA Student-Athlete Name, Image and Likeness Rights, May 2020.
  • Practising Law Institute, NCAA Amateurism in Flux: NCAA Bylaws, California’s Fair Pay to Play Act and College Athletes’ Right of Publicity, December 2019.
  • University of California Los Angeles, The Fate of College Athlete Pay, Health and Safety, and Abuse, November 2019.
  • Steinberg Sports Career Conference, Careers in Sport Media, November 2019.
  • Seattle Sport Marketing Conference, Small Fish-Big Pond/College versus Professional Markets, October 2019.
  • Texas Legends (NBA G-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks), Digital Innovations in Sport and Reaching Generation Z Fans, September 2019.
  • University of Indianapolis, Legal Issues in Sport class, Current Sport Law Issues, March 2019.
  • Fordham University School of Law, 23rd Annual Fordham Sports Law Symposium, Growth and Future of eSports, February 2019.
  • Gonzaga University, Sport and Fitness in the Digital Age class, Social Media and Image Management, January 2019.
  • American Bar Association, Antitrust Law Section Webinar, Spring Training: New Developments Concerning the Business of Baseball Exemptions, May 2018.
  • American Bar Association, 2018 Business Law Section Spring Meeting, Sports Gambling in America: Showdown at the United States Supreme Court, April 2018.

External Funding

  • Women in Film. $20,000 (May 22, 2019).

Internal Funding

  • Pepperdine University Research and Sponsored Programs Off-Cycle Grant, $1,200 (July 2022).
  • Pepperdine Center for Women Leadership. $5,000 (May 22, 2019).
  • Pepperdine University Gender-Based AYURI Grant. $2,500. (January 11, 2019).

Editorial and Review Boards: Refereed Journals

  • Journal of Global Sport Management: Editorial Board (2023 – Present)
  • Journal of Global Sport Management: Reviewer (2023 – Present)
  • Sports Innovation Journal: Editorial Board (2019 – Present)
  • Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport: Reviewer (2016 – Present)
  • Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport: Editorial Board (2015 – Present)

Areas of Expertise

  • Sports Law
  • Women's Leadership

Topics

  • Sport Governance
  • Sport Law
  • Sport Leadership
  • Sport Marketing
  • Sport Media

Courses

  • Sport Law and Risk Management
  • Sport Marketing, Sponsorship and Sales

Links