In the Sports Arena: Anil Gollahalli, ’00, Big Ten’s Chief Legal Counsel
Anil Gollahalli, ’00, took what he calls a “meandering path” to arrive in sports. After getting his BS in chemical engineering at the University of Oklahoma, he enrolled in the Law School contemplating a career in intellectual property law.
After a postgraduation federal clerkship, he joined a Dallas law firm doing IP litigation and licensing work. After several years in private practice, Gollahalli had the opportunity to move in house with the University of Oklahoma as its vice president for technology development in 2007. The move was a homecoming for the Norman, Oklahoma, native. A little less than two years later, he was tapped to be the university’s general counsel.
Gollahalli went from concentrating in IP to handling the full breadth of higher education issues, including free speech, academic misconduct, tenure and employment, and, of course, collegiate sports. “It was a pivotal time in college sports, and the IP background allowed me to take control of the portfolio of trademarks and how we did the licensing,” Gollahalli recalled. “We also had a very innovative athletics director who wanted to think through different business models.”
“When I was in law school, I never would have expected that I was going to be a sports lawyer.”
Oklahoma was also engaged in a major conference realignment, moving from the Big Twelve to the Southeastern Conference. It was his work shepherding this change that put Gollahalli on the radar screen of the Big Ten Conference. In May 2022, after fifteen years with OU, he joined the Big Ten as its chief legal officer and general counsel, relocating to Chicago with his family.
The past couple of years have been eventful for Gollahalli and the conference, which expanded by four teams in 2024, adding Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington. The Big Ten also recently resolved a high-profile dispute with the University of Michigan over a disciplinary matter. In 2023, when the Big Ten was between commissioners, he briefly served as interim commissioner.
“It has been a fascinating time to be involved in college athletics,” Gollahalli said, noting that his background in IP has been particularly useful in dealing with name, image, and likeness issues, a hot topic in collegiate sports.
“When I was in law school, I never would have expected that I was going to be a sports lawyer,” he said. “It wasn’t on the career trajectory; it wasn’t even on the list of things that I might have thought about. But I have met some great people, developed some great relationships, and have really enjoyed it.”
Gollahalli’s advice to others with an interest in sports law is to remain flexible. “Make sure that you’re doing interesting things,” he said. “The opportunities will always be there, especially for University of Chicago lawyers, because the talent that comes through that law school is phenomenal.”
Mark A. Cohen is the Assistant Dean for Communications at the Law School.