Charles W. Mentkowski Sports Law Award
John G. Long, Law ’09
Houston, Texas
John Long credits Professors Matthew Mitten and Paul Anderson of the sports law program and Marquette’s National Sports Law Institute for helping him find his way as a law student. “I did not know what I wanted to do until I was a 2L at Marquette Law School,” he says. “They had a profound impact on the direction of my career.” Today John is nationally recognized for his work in college athletics, serving as a trusted advocate on behalf of universities and coaches.
A partner at the firm Kutak Rock, he is currently launching a college athletics and private capital focus group. He has enjoyed working “at the forefront of the evolution of the college sports industry,” he says, and has built expertise in issues including NCAA infractions and compliance, Title IX gender equity, sports wagering, and Name, Image and Likeness. But his most meaningful work these days, he says, is raising his son JT with his wife, Li.
John came to Wisconsin from Texas, and one his top campus memories was February 5, 2007, when temperatures in Milwaukee dropped below -10 degrees. “It was the coldest day that I have ever experienced in my life,” he recalls.
He offers this piece of wisdom to current law students: “Be yourself and not who you think you should be. Authenticity is irreplaceable.”
What guiding principles or “formula for success” have shaped your journey?
Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
Who has been the most influential person in your life, and why?
It’s a tie between Jane Knight and Greg Long, my mother and father. I formed the traits necessary to succeed because of them.
