Why Teams Leave: The Dirty Business & Law of Sports Relocation
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Organized by: Sip Smarter — https://www.eventbrite.com/o/121532280276
A TRU Law professor breaks down the playbook of sports relocations, stadium deals, and billionaire owners holding cities hostage—over pints.
From the heartbreak of the Vancouver Grizzlies packing up for Memphis to recurring stadium battles and franchise threats across North America, sports fans know the anxiety all too well. We buy jerseys, paint our faces, and pack the stands, but when billionaire owners want leverage, fan loyalty never makes the balance sheet.
What does it actually take for an owner to pack up and move? Major sports leagues operate like private legal monopolies, using relocation threats to extract hundreds of millions in public tax dollars, stadium subsidies, and prime real estate. Join TRU Law Professor Ryan Gauthier to uncover how franchise law works behind closed doors, why cities keep paying for stadiums, and whether fans or city halls can ever truly stop a team from leaving.
Every Sip Smarter talk includes a 45-minute lecture followed by an open Q&A over drinks.
DATE
Thursday, November 26th, 2026
LOCATION
The Canadian Brewhouse, 1200 Summit Dr, Unit 100, Kamloops
TIME
Doors open at 6:00 PM | Talk runs 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
SPEAKER
Ryan Gauthier is a Professor at Thompson Rivers University's Faculty of Law. He examines issues related to sports law, particularly in the areas of human rights and integrity. In recent years, Ryan has examined sports governance in Canada, risks to the respecting of human rights of eSport competitors, and governance issues related to the public financing of stadiums. Ryan also compares North American and European approaches to sports law.
Ryan was the Director of the Oregon Summer Sports Law Institute from 2022-2025. He is a member of the Sports Lawyers Association, and an executive of the Canadian Bar Association (BC)'s sports law section. Ryan is a member of the BC Law Society, and remains a non-practicing member of the New York Bar.
"The only thing better than learning is the conversation after."
A TRU Law professor breaks down the playbook of sports relocations, stadium deals, and billionaire owners holding cities hostage—over pints.
From the heartbreak of the Vancouver Grizzlies packing up for Memphis to recurring stadium battles and franchise threats across North America, sports fans know the anxiety all too well. We buy jerseys, paint our faces, and pack the stands, but when billionaire owners want leverage, fan loyalty never makes the balance sheet.
What does it actually take for an owner to pack up and move? Major sports leagues operate like private legal monopolies, using relocation threats to extract hundreds of millions in public tax dollars, stadium subsidies, and prime real estate. Join TRU Law Professor Ryan Gauthier to uncover how franchise law works behind closed doors, why cities keep paying for stadiums, and whether fans or city halls can ever truly stop a team from leaving.
Every Sip Smarter talk includes a 45-minute lecture followed by an open Q&A over drinks.
DATE
Thursday, November 26th, 2026
LOCATION
The Canadian Brewhouse, 1200 Summit Dr, Unit 100, Kamloops
TIME
Doors open at 6:00 PM | Talk runs 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
SPEAKER
Ryan Gauthier is a Professor at Thompson Rivers University's Faculty of Law. He examines issues related to sports law, particularly in the areas of human rights and integrity. In recent years, Ryan has examined sports governance in Canada, risks to the respecting of human rights of eSport competitors, and governance issues related to the public financing of stadiums. Ryan also compares North American and European approaches to sports law.
Ryan was the Director of the Oregon Summer Sports Law Institute from 2022-2025. He is a member of the Sports Lawyers Association, and an executive of the Canadian Bar Association (BC)'s sports law section. Ryan is a member of the BC Law Society, and remains a non-practicing member of the New York Bar.
"The only thing better than learning is the conversation after."
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Where is it happening?
The Canadian Brewhouse & Grill (Kamloops), 1200 Summit Dr, Kamloops, BC V2C 6K8, CA, Canada
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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