Peter Goplerud named Executive in Residence with UNF Sport Management
August 20, 2026
Peter Goplerud, Of Counsel at National Litigation Law Group, has been named the Executive in Residence (EIR) for UNF’s Sport Management program heading into the Fall 2026 semester.
The Executive in Residence is designed to enhance the academic excellence of the College through exposure to the experiences of accomplished business executives. Executives spend a semester or two at UNF as Courtesy Faculty Members teaching an undergraduate course, serving as mentors and sharing knowledge through guest lectures in various sport management courses.
Executives in Residence have included Brian Damato (Digital Solution Partners), Jeremy A. Darlow (TMRW Sports and TGL Golf), Dee Kennedy (National Collegiate Athletic Association), Elaine Chiasson (Amazon Web Services), and Ken Lovell (PGA TOUR). Mike Vitti, Vice President of Data Science and Technology Solutions at the PGA TOUR, was named a Senior Executive in Residence in Fall 2025.
Goplerud is Of Counsel with National Litigation Law Group and has spent much of his career in legal education. He specializes in higher education and sports law. He is a frequent lecturer and is widely published in the sports law area, including serving as co-author on two of the leading textbooks on the subject. He has extensive accreditation experience, particularly within legal education, having served as chair of numerous ABA Site Evaluation teams.
Goplerud has been a consultant in sports law and higher education and served as Of Counsel to law firms in Denver, Tulsa, St. Louis, and Edmond, Oklahoma, and provided service as an expert witness. Goplerud has experience with coaches’ contracts and NCAA matters, including Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) issues, athlete eligibility issues, compliance matters, and NCAA membership. He has significant strategic planning experience and has also served on a special investigation team at a Big 10 institution.
Goplerud began his career as a law clerk for Justice David Prager of the Supreme Court of Kansas and later joined the faculty of the University of Akron School of Law. He has taught at Southern Illinois University School of Law, where he was also dean and associate dean, Saint Louis University School of Law, and the University of Oklahoma College of Law, where he served as dean for three years. In addition, he served as Dean of Drake University Law School from 1997 through 2003 and Florida Coastal School of Law from 2004 through 2013, and again from 2019 to 2023. Goplerud was a Visiting Professor of Law at Florida A&M College of Law from 2023 to 2026.
Goplerud was a member of the Sports Lawyers Association Board of Directors from 1997 to 2026. He has served on numerous committees for the organization and has been the Conference Chair and Co-Chair. Goplerud served as a member of the Advisory Board of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University Law School from 1999 to 2005. He has also served as a member of the United States Anti-Doping Agency Anti-Doping Review Board.
Additionally, Goplerud has served on numerous nonprofit boards and has frequently interacted with state legislative members and committees. He hosted a weekly radio show on sports law and business topics. He is admitted to the Bar in Colorado, Kansas and Iowa.