Rice Sport Law Society

Setting the Standard for Undergraduate Sport Law.

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Grounded in Excellence

Rice Sport Law Society operates within the nation’s top sport management program while delivering undergraduate sport law training through competition, publication, and professional engagement.

Undergraduate Sport Management Program in America

by Niche.com since 2020

First-of-Its-Kind

Undergraduate Participation in
Elite Sport Law Competitions

since 2025

Top Undergraduate
College in the Nation

by Niche.com in 2025

Meet the Team

The Parliamentarians

Inspired by the term for a group of owls (a parliament) our leadership team is known as the Parliamentarians, reflecting both our sharp insight and collaborative spirit. As the founders and main leaders, we guide the vision, strategy, and execution of the Rice Sport Law Society’s initiatives, from legal competitions and academic publications to mentorship, research, and industry outreach.

Maya Moise

External President

Senior | Sports Medicine & Sport Law

Maya Moise is a senior at Rice University pursuing a dual degree in Sport Law and Exercise Physiology. She is the External President and Co-Founder of the Rice Sport Law Society (RSLS), where she leads national competition initiatives, strategic outreach, and industry engagement. She has competed in the Tulane International Baseball Arbitration and Tulane Professional Basketball Negotiation Competition and coached the Fútbol Negotiation Competition, making history as part of the first undergraduate teams to participate in all three and coaching a semifinalist team.

A nationally ranked Olympic weightlifter and internationally ranked powerlifter, Maya is a Silver Knight Award recipient and fitness content creator with over 40,000 followers, bringing firsthand NIL experience and a strong commitment to athlete advocacy. Her legal article, “Leveling the Playing Field or Limiting It?”, examining antitrust implications of the House v. NCAA settlement under the Sherman Act, was accepted for publication in the Harvard Undergraduate Law Review.

This past summer, Maya interned in the Basketball Division at WME Sports under EVP Carlos Fleming, where she focused on athlete branding and sponsorship strategy. She led her intern group to the top score in the Flywheel Project, presenting to executives across WME and IMG, and gained exposure to elite athlete representation through recruitment meetings alongside Carlos Fleming and Bill Duffy. She aims to pursue agency work centered on equitable negotiations, long-term brand building, and generational wealth creation.

Thomas Gomez

Internal President

Sophomore | Economics & Sport Law

Thomas is a sophomore at Rice University, double-majoring in Economics and Sport Law. He is a board member for the Sport Law Society. He has interned with the Houston Sports Authority, where he worked and planned over 200 hours on the 2025 AAU Junior Olympics, which generated over $90 million for the Houston economy during the three-week event. Beyond this, Thomas is the Head of Recruitment for Rice Club Lacrosse, an RSAT Football Analyst, and an NCAA Compliance intern for Rice Athletics. He is also a data annotator for SkillCorner, watching full-length football games and ensuring play-by-play data is accurately reported to NFL, UFL, and NCAA teams. Thomas plans to continue gaining experience in the sports field while using the knowledge he has gained to assist the Sport Law Society with day-to-day operations.

Stephanie Wilka

Faculty Advisor

Adjunct Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University
Professor in the Practice, Rice University

Stephanie Wilka is a Professor in the Practice at Rice University and Director of the Hutchinson Leadership Initiative in Sport Analytics. She currently serves as a Legal Strategist for FIFA and an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University. With nearly two decades of experience across Major League Baseball and international sport governance, Stephanie has held senior legal and operations roles with the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and TruMedia Networks. She is widely recognized for her work in compliance, international operations, and player development, including submitting the Astros' 2012 No. 1 pick (Carlos Correa) and overseeing global initiatives like the Red Sox’s Lindos Sueños program.

Alejandro Reto

Head of Recruitment & Event Coordinator

Sophomore | Sports Medicine and Sport Law

Alejandro is a sophomore at Rice University double majoring in Sport Law and Sports Medicine. As Head of Recruitment and Event Coordinator for the Rice Sport Law Society, he leads membership growth, promotional strategy, and event logistics, strengthening the organization’s presence and engagement across campus.

He also serves as Director of Growth and Engagement for Rice Athletics’ N.E.S.T. (NIL Education and Support Team), where he leads recruitment efforts, manages program visibility, and coordinates outreach across campus organizations. Working closely with Division I athletes, supporting brand development and NIL guidance. Alejandro is also set to intern with Student Athlete Score this summer, a data analytics platform that benchmarks athlete social performance, evaluates brand alignment, and supports sponsorship strategy, where he will gain experience in athlete marketing analysis and NIL partnership development.

Jessica Leonard

Secretary and Director of Communications

Junior | Psychology and Sport Law

Jess is a sophomore at Rice University, graduating in Spring 2027, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sport Management with a concentration in Sport Law. She is also pursuing a minor in Politics, Law, and Social Thought. She currently serves as Secretary of RSLS, supporting the organization’s operations and focusing on member engagement through social media and outreach. She is also a Teaching Assistant for Sport Law (SMGT 364).

Additionally, she supports Rice Athletics through NIL-related programming and initiatives. She is also a tutor within academic-advising for student-athletes with a focus on mathematics, psychology, and sport management courses. Outside of Rice, Jess works at [solidcore] strengthening her operational and member-engagement experience in a fast-paced setting that aligns with her interests in sport organizations and athlete support.

Neil Patel

Treasurer & Fundraising Head

Freshman | Sport Law

They're cool.

Society Features

Negotiation Training Program

RSLS runs a structured, sport-specific negotiation training program designed to mirror real-world sports law practice. Members develop practical advocacy skills through hands-on work in contracts, arbitration strategy, and collective bargaining across baseball, soccer, basketball, and football. Participants who complete the program receive a Certificate of Completion for resumes, law school applications, and internships.

Guest Speakers

RSLS regularly hosts guest speakers and panels featuring professionals across the sports law ecosystem, including attorneys, agents, league and team executives, and compliance and governance professionals. These events give members direct exposure to career pathways, legal practice, and the realities of working in sports, complementing RSLS’s hands-on training with industry perspective.

Legal Writing and Publication

Rice Sport Law Society works closely with the Rice Undergraduate Law Review (RULR) to support students interested in publishing academic work in sports law and related legal fields. Through this collaboration, RSLS helps students develop publishable ideas, refine research questions, and navigate the academic writing process from draft to submission.

Legal Competitions

Rice Sports Law Society is the first undergraduate team to compete at Tulane Law School’s prestigious legal competitions. Our students have gone head-to-head with top law schools, earning national recognition and setting new standards for undergraduate advocacy. We also host on-campus negotiation competitions at Rice, offering hands-on experience in contract negotiation, arbitration strategy, and CBA analysis, preparing students for the real-world legal challenges of the sports industry.

Monthly Newsletters

RSLS keeps members informed and professionally engaged through consistent written updates. The monthly RSLS newsletter highlights organizational announcements, competition updates, member achievements, and upcoming opportunities. In addition, Weekly Sports Law Updates track major legal developments across the sports industry, including NIL issues, antitrust litigation, governance changes, arbitration decisions, and league actions. Together, these publications help members stay current while building professional legal literacy.

Competitive Distinction

Rice Sport Law Society is the first undergraduate institution to compete in Tulane Law School’s International Baseball Arbitration Competition, Fútbol Negotiation Competition, and Professional Basketball Negotiation Competition.

First Undergraduate Team to Compete

Tulane International Baseball Arbitration Competition

Rice Sport Law Society made history as the first undergraduate institution invited to compete at the Tulane International Baseball Arbitration Competition, a nationally recognized simulation of Major League Baseball salary arbitration. Representing Rice University, Maya Moise ’26, Trevor Tobey ’26, and Nick Pugliese ’27 (coached by Professor Stephanie Wilka) competed against more than 40 law schools nationwide. The team placed in the top third overall, earning recognition from judges for the quality of their written submissions, oral advocacy, and professional presentation, an exceptional result for undergraduate competitors at a graduate-level competition.

First Undergraduate Team to Compete

Tulane International Fútbol Negotiation Competition

Rice Sport Law Society continued its national competitive impact as the first undergraduate institution to participate in the Tulane International Fútbol Negotiation Competition. Representing Rice University, Kai Cowin ’25, Kai Peiris ’26, and Kushal Gupta ’26 (coached by Maya Moise '26) advanced to the semifinal round, competing directly against JD candidates from law schools across the country. Hosted annually at Tulane University Law School, TIFNC simulates high-stakes negotiations between clubs and players, challenging participants through written submissions and live bargaining sessions.

Second Undergraduate Team to Compete

Tulane Professional Basketball Negotiation Competition

Rice Sport Law Society will continue its national competitive expansion as the second undergraduate institution invited to compete in the Tulane Professional Basketball Negotiation Competition, a premier sports law simulation focused on real-world NBA contract negotiations. Hosted annually at Tulane University Law School, the competition places participants in high-stakes bargaining scenarios representing teams and free agents, evaluated by industry professionals. Representing Rice University, Maya Moise ’26, Aly Khanmohamed ’27, and Trent Gorsich ’29 (coached by Owen Marye '27) will compete alongside JD and MBA candidates from law schools across the country.

Professional Testimonials

Tim Hutzul

Corporate Secretary & General Counsel, Canada Soccer | Global Celt, Celtic FC | TIFNC Judge

"Preparation, Pride and Passion. Like a lower division club chasing FA Cup glory at Wembley, the plucky undergrad team from Rice University pulled off a series of upsets against law schools in the 4th Annual Tulane International Futbol Negotiation Competition this past week in New Orleans before finally bowing out in a close semifinal loss. I had the privilege of judging two of their rounds and consistently heard my fellow judges speak favorably about the effort, enthusiasm, and results of Kai Cowin, Kai Peiris, and Kushal Gupta against 2nd and 3rd-year law students. Kudos. Rice University should be proud of their team."

Alyssa Estepp

Board Member, Tulane International Futbol Negotiation Competition

"The TIFNC Board and Judges were highly impressed by the knowledge, negotiation strategies, and professionalism demonstrated by the Rice University team. As the only undergraduate team competing in TIFNC, the Rice team advanced to the semifinals [..]. Beyond their impressive performance, the team members displayed wonderful personalities and were kind and appreciative throughout their time in New Orleans. We look forward to witnessing their continued growth and warmly invite them to compete again."

Andrew Ball

Assistant General Manager, Houston Astros | TIBAC Judge

"One of the most impressive teams I saw was from Rice. Not only were their arguments well-structured and logical, but they delivered their points with poise and energy. I was shocked to find out they were not law students."