Clifford P. Goplerud

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Professor Goplerud launched his career in legal education as a faculty member at the University of Akron School of Law. Subsequently he has been a faculty member at Southern Illinois University, Saint Louis University, the University of Oklahoma Drake University, Florida Coastal School of Law and Florida A&M.  He served as dean at Southern Illinois, Oklahoma, Drake and Florida Coastal. 

Professor Goplerud has taught, published and consulted in the sports law field for nearly 40 years. He is a frequent lecturer and is widely published in the sports law area, including serving as co-author on two of the leading textbooks on the subject. He and two of his co-authors published the first law school sports law textbook in 1990; it is now in its 10^th edition.  They have subsequently been joined by two other authors and have published a version of the book that is used in undergraduate and graduate sports law programs.

Professor Goplerud was actively involved in the representation of professional athletes in team and individual sports during the 1980s and 1990s. He also has experience drafting and negotiating coaches’ contracts, and with NCAA matters, including Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) issues, athlete eligibility issues, compliance matters, and NCAA membership questions. He has significant strategic planning experience and has also served on a special investigation team at a Big 10 institution in a matter related to sexual misconduct by two athletes.

Professor Goplerud has been a member of the Sports Lawyers Association Board of Directors since 1997. In recent years he has served several times as a moderator or panelist at the organization’s annual conference, which attracts more than 750 attendees each year. He has also served as a member of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Anti-Doping Review Board. He previously hosted a weekly radio show on sports law and business topics.