It has been 25 years since the publication of the first edition of Sports Law: Cases and Materials. Its publication marked the emergence of sports law as a discrete topic for legal study, and it was quickly and widely adopted for use in the classroom. In the Eighth Edition, the overarching organization from the original book holds, but less firmly than once thought. The assault on amateurism continues apace, but as of this writing, it appears that the uniquely American system of intercollegiate "amateur" sports will survive the onslaught. "Amateurism" will be redefined perhaps, but the intercollegiate sports juggernaut will likely continue to pay homage to the "student athlete", albeit with increased emoluments. The Eighth Edition thus remains in three parts:

Amateur Sports

Professional Sports

Issues Common to Both.

From the beginning, the authors believed that a skills-oriented problem approach was the best way to approach the study of sports law. While the book is conventional in many ways, offering textual explanation, leading cases, and notes and questions, skills-based problems are featured throughout.

The Eighth Edition emphasizes their shared commitment to skills-based teaching and includes new features, including "sidebars", "capstone problems", and case files for simulated hearings. The sidebars are designed to spur class discussion. The capstone problems and case simulations are designed to facilitate comprehensive review and experiential learning.