Darien Mensah’s NIL Lawsuit, 49ers EMF Injury Investigation, Jim Irsay Death Probe, FTC Agent Crackdown, and Bediako’s NCAA Eligibility Battle
Sat Jan 24 2026
On this episode of Conduct Detrimental: THE Sports Law Podcast, Dan Lust (@SportsLawLust) is joined by Mike Lawson (@Mikesonoflaw) and Landis Barber (@LandisBarber) tackling the latest sports law stories of the week.
The team opens with Darien Mensah’s NIL lawsuit, dissecting the Duke quarterback’s attempt to enter the transfer portal despite an existing NIL agreement, the university’s emergency TRO seeking to block his departure, and the confusion surrounding what the court actually permitted. The discussion explores the enforceability of NIL contracts in a post-House settlement world, the growing use of injunctions to preserve the “status quo,” and whether courts are becoming the primary arbiters of roster movement in college sports.
Next, the conversation shifts to the San Francisco 49ers’ investigation into a nearby electrical substation and whether prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields could be contributing to the team’s unusually high rate of Achilles and soft-tissue injuries. Dan, Mike, and Landis talk causation versus coincidence, workplace safety obligations, and the legal significance of the 49ers publicly acknowledging an internal investigation.
The episode then turns to the federal investigation into the death of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, with a breakdown of what it means for federal authorities to reopen scrutiny months later, the unusual circumstances surrounding the death certificate, and the legal challenges of determining causation without an autopsy.
From there, the trio dives into the FTC’s renewed enforcement of the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act (SPARTA), after the agency sent letters to dozens of universities seeking information about athlete-agent relationships. The discussion focuses on why SPARTA has resurfaced now, how NIL has blurred traditional compliance lines, and whether federal oversight of agents could meaningfully reshape the college sports ecosystem.
The episode wraps with Charles Bediako’s NCAA eligibility battle, after the former Alabama center secured a TRO allowing him to play despite previously signing a two-way NBA contract. Dan and Landis analyze how courts are steadily eroding the NCAA’s professional-amateur distinction, why the line between G League, overseas play, and NBA contracts has become nearly impossible to police, and what this case signals for future challenges by former professional athletes seeking a return to college sports.
Let us know your thoughts!
***
Have a topic you want to write about? ANYONE and EVERYONE can publish for ConductDetrimental.com. Let us know if you want to join the team.
As always, this episode is sponsored by Themis Bar Review: https://www.themisbarsocial.com/conductdetrimental
Host: Dan Lust (@SportsLawLust)
Featuring: Mike Lawson (@Mikesonoflaw)Landis Barber (@LandisBarber)
Produced by: Mike Kravchenko (Watch on YouTube)
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On this episode of Conduct Detrimental: THE Sports Law Podcast, Dan Lust (@SportsLawLust) is joined by Mike Lawson (@Mikesonoflaw) and Landis Barber (@LandisBarber) tackling the latest sports law stories of the week. The team opens with Darien Mensah’s NIL lawsuit, dissecting the Duke quarterback’s attempt to enter the transfer portal despite an existing NIL agreement, the university’s emergency TRO seeking to block his departure, and the confusion surrounding what the court actually permitted. The discussion explores the enforceability of NIL contracts in a post-House settlement world, the growing use of injunctions to preserve the “status quo,” and whether courts are becoming the primary arbiters of roster movement in college sports. Next, the conversation shifts to the San Francisco 49ers’ investigation into a nearby electrical substation and whether prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields could be contributing to the team’s unusually high rate of Achilles and soft-tissue injuries. Dan, Mike, and Landis talk causation versus coincidence, workplace safety obligations, and the legal significance of the 49ers publicly acknowledging an internal investigation. The episode then turns to the federal investigation into the death of Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, with a breakdown of what it means for federal authorities to reopen scrutiny months later, the unusual circumstances surrounding the death certificate, and the legal challenges of determining causation without an autopsy. From there, the trio dives into the FTC’s renewed enforcement of the Sports Agent Responsibility and Trust Act (SPARTA), after the agency sent letters to dozens of universities seeking information about athlete-agent relationships. The discussion focuses on why SPARTA has resurfaced now, how NIL has blurred traditional compliance lines, and whether federal oversight of agents could meaningfully reshape the college sports ecosystem. The episode wraps with Charles Bediako’s NCAA eligibility battle, after the former Alabama center secured a TRO allowing him to play despite previously signing a two-way NBA contract. Dan and Landis analyze how courts are steadily eroding the NCAA’s professional-amateur distinction, why the line between G League, overseas play, and NBA contracts has become nearly impossible to police, and what this case signals for future challenges by former professional athletes seeking a return to college sports. Let us know your thoughts! *** Have a topic you want to write about? ANYONE and EVERYONE can publish for ConductDetrimental.com. Let us know if you want to join the team. As always, this episode is sponsored by Themis Bar Review: https://www.themisbarsocial.com/conductdetrimental Host: Dan Lust (@SportsLawLust) Featuring: Mike Lawson (@Mikesonoflaw)Landis Barber (@LandisBarber) Produced by: Mike Kravchenko (Watch on YouTube) Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Website | Email