--- url: 'https://www.fmjlaw.com/so-you-want-to-host-a-major-sporting-event/' title: 'So, You Want to Host a Major Sporting Event?' author: name: Adam url: 'https://www.fmjlaw.com/author/adam-brownfmjlaw-com/' date: '2023-03-16T20:23:31+00:00' modified: '2023-04-21T14:56:52+00:00' type: post categories: - Article - Thought Leadership tags: - Entertainment - event - Sports published: true --- # So, You Want to Host a Major Sporting Event? ![](https://www.fmjlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Jim-and-Nate.png) With the men’s and women’s college basketball seasons reaching their apex, and national champions soon to be crowned, many sports fans may be surprised at the scope of legal work that goes into organizing and putting on a world-class athletic event. Fafinski Mark & Johnson’s sports and entertainment attorneys regularly work alongside clients in connection with planning and successfully navigating the legal issues involved in hosting large-scale events. FMJ sports attorneys [**Jim Seifert**](https://www.fmjlaw.com/professional/james-j-seifert/) and [**Nate Snyder**](https://www.fmjlaw.com/professional/nathan-r-snyder/) were recently invited to attend the 2023 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament in Chicago, and they had the chance to reflect on the wide range of legal issues that must be addressed to ensure that the “show goes on.” Some of the major issues that must be addressed in hosting such an event are discussed below. **Location, Location, Location** - The most obvious consideration is finding a suitable place to play. - Large-scale events can bring millions of dollars of revenue to the host city, and they often require working with city officials and sports commissions well in advance to find venues and facilities suitable for the full scope of athletic events, including amenities and attractions for thousands of fans between games or across multiple venues. - Venue license agreements include many complex legal nuances, such as the structure of license fees, ticket and merchandise sales allocations, arena operations personnel, exclusive sponsorship rights, catering and concessions, intellectual property rights, insurance requirements, video, streaming, and radio rights, along with addressing what happens in case of a *force majeure *where the event cannot proceed as planned. - This list is not exhaustive. Depending on the event, it could be just the tip of the iceberg. **In-Game Operations and Ancillary Agreements** - Beyond location, an event like a conference championship requires significant ancillary agreements that must be negotiated to address the unique aspects of staging an athletic competition – particularly one that will be viewed by tens of thousands of fans in person and potentially millions more from their homes. - For example, while many venues provide personnel as part of their normal gameday operations, a sports organization will likely be responsible for the “performance” and in-game operations of an event, including agreements with gameday officials (who are generally independent contractors), at least two back-up officials on standby, National Anthem singers, halftime acts, DJs, and emcees. Organizations also need releases and waivers from any fans participating in “break-in-the-action” on-court events. - There may be a number of other logistics to consider and plan for, and all of these need ancillary agreements. For example, a post-game championship celebration could include agreements to cover souvenir vendors, confetti, apparel, and trophies, among other things. **Other Logistical Considerations** - Beyond the location and in-game operations, there are a number of other logistical considerations that are involved with a large-scale event. - For example, teams require lodging and transportation between hotels and the venue. Amenities can be critical when serving as the home base for entire teams, families, and fan bases. Hotels need to provide meeting and banquet spaces, food, and enough comforts of home (or at least the dorms) to ensure that athletes are performing their best, particularly when they are playing multiple games over a short period of time. As the seasons build to their tournaments, and athletes are leaving it all on the court, countless hours have been spent behind the scenes to prepare for these events. There are many considerations, negotiations, contracts, and other agreements necessary to ensure that teams and organizations have what they need to succeed on and off the court. These are just some of the issues that sports organizations must address on a regular basis, and we have not even mentioned issues such as insurance and risk management, compliance, intellectual property, HR, data management, television and advertising, and many more. Like the occasional halftime performer, the attorneys involved these types of events will have plenty to juggle. Fafinski Mark & Johnson’s sports and entertainment attorneys serve as outside counsel to clients and help them address their legal needs, including large-scale sporting events throughout the country. If you or your sports organization need assistance with navigating the complexities of hosting a sporting event and addressing the inherent legal issues and risks, or if you would like to discuss the wide variety of other legal issues that arise when managing a sports organization’s day-to-day operations, Jim and Nate can be contacted at [jim.seifert@fmjlaw.com](mailto:jim.seifert@fmjlaw.com) and [nate.snyder@fmjlaw.com](mailto:nate.snyder@fmjlaw.com) or by calling 952-995-9500. ![](https://www.fmjlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Big-Ten-Tourney-1024x771.jpg) [](https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/facebook?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmjlaw.com%2Fso-you-want-to-host-a-major-sporting-event%2F&linkname=So%2C%20You%20Want%20to%20Host%20a%20Major%20Sporting%20Event%3F)[](https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmjlaw.com%2Fso-you-want-to-host-a-major-sporting-event%2F&linkname=So%2C%20You%20Want%20to%20Host%20a%20Major%20Sporting%20Event%3F)[](https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/email?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmjlaw.com%2Fso-you-want-to-host-a-major-sporting-event%2F&linkname=So%2C%20You%20Want%20to%20Host%20a%20Major%20Sporting%20Event%3F)[](https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/linkedin?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fmjlaw.com%2Fso-you-want-to-host-a-major-sporting-event%2F&linkname=So%2C%20You%20Want%20to%20Host%20a%20Major%20Sporting%20Event%3F)