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Princeton Sports Symposium Wrap-Up

Right now, I am sitting in Jason Belzer’s (Dynasty‘s Director of Coaches Division) beautiful house in Marlboro, New Jersey, typing this post instead of doing the studying that is completely necessary for my 2L law school finals that approach.  But there is no need for me to try to make you pity me.  The weekend has been completely worth it, no matter how much my grades may suffer as a consequence.  The reason I came to Jersey was to attend the Princeton Sports Symposium hosted by Leverage Agency.  I left Tampa, FL with my roommate, who is also the Treasurer of the ESL Society at UF. He, Jason, and I represented Dynasty at the event.

Chris Chaney and the rest of the Princeton crew did a wonderful job with the logistics.  We were immediately greeted and welcomed to an invite-only reception, where gourmet food was served to mostly the speakers and moderators.  Everything was done right, down to the Princeton-labeled water bottles.  But besides the giveaway Princeton pins and the beautiful ice sculpture, the true success of the event was in bringing together such large amount of influential people in the business of sports.  Many readers of this blog, who happen to be prominent entities in the sports world and plenty of those who are up-and-coming were at the symposium.  It was lovely to finally put a face behind so many of you that I have conversed with countless times through email.  That is the beauty of this site.  Not only do I attempt to provide you the latest sports agent/business/law/etc news along with my great team of contributors, but I use this site to network with all of you.  If we have never spoken, feel free to email me.  I promise you that I am strong with responding.  Additionally, sign up for our new Connect to Others feature on the right sidebar.  One of the many themes of the Princeton Sports Symposium was the importance of networking, connecting, and reaching out to others in the industry.  Start now.

Other themes included being persistent and never letting go of your dream, being creative in applying for internships, separating yourself from the competition, and embracing new technologies.  It seemed as though the most important item stressed over and over again was to create relationships.  I cannot agree more.  There will be another great opportunity to network with many individuals who have already made it or will some day be at the top of the sports industry.  And it will be held at my institution.  The UF Sports Law Symposium is scheduled to take place on January 23, 2009 at the UF Levin College of Law.  The invitation to attend is open to all.  For more information on the event, please visit www.UFSportsLaw.com.

So I guess now I will start my studying.  After all, I have an SEC Championship game to watch on the plane back to Florida.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

3 replies on “Princeton Sports Symposium Wrap-Up”

Good luck with the symposium in January; it looks like it will be a huge success. The Sports and Entertainment Law Society at Thomas M. Cooley Law School (of which I am President) in Auburn Hills, MI is hosting an event on a much smaller scale at the end of January. A practicing sports law attorney and a couple of sports law professors will be discussing the legal issues surrounding NCAA athletes.

How does one sign up for this event? Is it a good idea to attend this event if Im entering my last year of undergrad or will I be overwhelemd?

It is free to attend; no sign-up is necessary. Overwhelmed? If going to an event on a Friday will get you overwhelmed in your last semester of undergrad, then good luck in the real world! 🙂

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