Brian Krumm, associate professor at the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, is pondering the future of intercollegiate athletics. In an article and video, he offers a continuing education class for lawyers on topics of NIL and athletes’ rights. Learn more here.

Krumm’s research uses financial data from five athletic departments to demonstrate that the vast majority of programs already operate at or near break-even, with football and men’s basketball subsidizing all other sports.

When revenue sharing, expanded scholarships, back damages, and the potential classification of athletes as employees are layered onto this system, the question becomes not whether change is necessary, but whether current models are sustainable at all – particularly for smaller and mid-major institutions.

Krumm helped develop the NIL program at UT, and that practical experience also informs his teaching in the Transactional Law Clinic, where he works alongside students on real-world business and transactional matters.

For athletic administrators, legislators, lawyers and fans, Krumm’s article offers a timely examination of the legal and financial challenges shaping the future of intercollegiate sports, concluding that legal and financial guardrails will ultimately determine whether college sports can survive.

New to the faculty of LMU Duncan School of Law this year are: Holly Whitehill, Alexander Nicoll, Katherine Goodner and Kacey Hovden.

LMU adds four to law college staff

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law (LMU Law) has added four new faculty members for the 2026-2027 academic year. The four join the law school as assistant professors, bringing extensive experience in legal practice, advocacy, academic support, and legal education, according to Matt Lyon, vice president and dean of LMU Law.

Holly Whitehill brings nearly three decades of experience in legal education, academic support and bar exam preparation to LMU Law. As both a law professor and bar preparation instructor and mentor, she has helped thousands of students successfully prepare for the bar exam. She most recently served as director of bar exam essay and performance test development for Kaplan Exam Services, where she built a nationwide system for drafting and reviewing bar examination questions while training teams of law professors and legal professionals. She also has extensive practice experience as a medical malpractice and insurance defense attorney.

Whitehill earned her J.D., cum laude, from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, graduating in the top 10 percent of her class, and holds a bachelor’s degree in business and public management from the State University of New York Utica and an associate degree in hotel and restaurant management from Paul Smith’s College, both completed summa cum laude. Whitehill is admitted to practice in Michigan and several federal courts and is the author of Michigan Bar Exam Essay Deconstruction.

Alexander Nicoll joins LMU Law after serving as in-house counsel for various business entities throughout the region. His corporate positions have included general counsel, chief HR officer and corporate board secretary. Before entering the corporate sector, he served active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps as a judge advocate general (JAG), advising commanders on legal and ethical issues and representing clients in criminal and administrative matters.

Nicoll earned his J.D. from Louisiana State University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Rhodes College. His honors include recognition on the Knoxville News Sentinel’s East Tennessee 40 Under 40 list and two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals.

Katherine Goodner joins LMU Law following an accomplished career in private practice, business leadership and legal education. She is a shareholder and vice president at Long, Ragsdale & Waters P.C. where her practice includes tax controversy, commercial litigation, fraud and embezzlement investigations, estate and trust litigation, contract negotiation and outside general counsel services for businesses.

She earned an LL.M. in taxation from Boston University, a J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law and a bachelor’s degree in English, cum laude, from Wake Forest University. Goodner is a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 mediator and has held leadership roles with the Tennessee Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley. Her scholarship has appeared in the Berkeley Business Law Journal and the American Bar Association’s Tax Times.

Kacey Hovden comes to LMU Law from the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, where she serves as an environmental justice staff attorney representing communities on matters of environmental protection, public health and government accountability. Her practice has included complex litigation, regulatory advocacy, community education and mentoring law students and undergraduate interns. She is co-chair of the National Lawyers Guild’s New Mexico chapter, where she established a bar preparation scholarship for third-year law students, and previously served as senior program manager for the Nuestra Tierra Conservation Project.

She earned her J.D., cum laude, with a certificate in environmental and natural resources law from Lewis & Clark Law School and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, with a minor in legal studies, from Briar Cliff University. Hovden is admitted to practice before the New Mexico State Bar and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.

In Memoriam

Allen Johnson

Allen Johnson, radio personality as Dr. Al Adams and longtime broadcast teacher at Fulton High School, has died at age 86. His broadcast career began in 1959, reaching markets in Tennessee, Ohio, Missouri and New York. In 1976, he joined Fulton High School as a radio broadcasting instructor. He also managed WKCS-FM, the student-operated radio station at Fulton High School. He leaves his wife, children, grandchildren and others. The family will receive friends on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at Berry Lynnhurst, 2300 West Adair Dr., from 5-7 with funeral to follow. The full obituary is here.

Roberta Petree

Roberta J. Petree, 92, of Maryville, passed on September 29, 2026. A graduate of Friendsville High School (‘52) and Maryville College (‘56), she taught P.E. and coached cheerleaders at Everett High School. Funeral service will be at 4 p.m. Thursday, October 1, 2026, at Fairview Church, 2508 Old Niles Ferry Rd., Maryville. The family will receive friends at 3 p.m. She is survived by a son and daughter and their families. The full obituary is here.

Anita Welch

Delphia “Anita” Welch, 75, of Jacksboro, passed on Monday, September 28, 2026. Born and raised in Jellico, Tennessee, Anita later made her home in LaFollette, where she devoted nearly 30 years to teaching special education. She found great joy in reconnecting with former students and hearing about the lives they had built. She leaves a son and daughter plus other family members and many friends. The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, October 2, 2026, at Cross-Smith Funeral Home in LaFollette. Funeral will follow. The full obituary is here.