Michael L. Huyghue
Born (1961-09-21) September 21, 1961 (age 62)
Alma materCornell University
University of Michigan
Occupation(s)Chairman, Axcess Sports & Entertainment, LLC
Commissioner, United Football League, LLC, Defensive Coordinator, Cornell University's sprint football team
SpouseKimberly Huyghue
Children3
Parent(s)Bruce and Joan Huyghue
WebsiteMichael Huyghue

Michael L. Huyghue (born September 21, 1961; pronounced "hewg")[1] is a sports lawyer and businessman and former commissioner of the United Football League, having served in that capacity since the league's founding in 2007.[2][3] He was previously a member of the legal department of the NFL Players Association before joining the NFL Management Council.[1][4] Uniquely positioned from having thus worked on both sides of the player/management relationship, he called for the 2011 NFL labor standoff to be settled by keeping the lawyers for both sides out of the negotiating process.[5]

After the formulation of the World League of American Football, the predecessor of NFL Europa, Huyghue joined the Birmingham Fire as general manager.[1][6] After the league's demise in 1992, he moved to the Detroit Lions of the National Football League as vice-president,[1] a role he also fulfilled for the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars from 1994 until 2001.[1][4] Huyghue was also previously a sports agent, managing NFL players such as Adam "Pacman" Jones.[3][7]

Huyghue is originally from suburban Hartford, Connecticut, a situation that was a factor in his placing a UFL franchise, the Hartford Colonials, in the area. His family is from St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands. Huyghue was a three-year football and baseball player while at Cornell University,[8] and received a law degree from the University of Michigan.[1] He now is the defensive coordinator for the Sprint Football Team at Cornell University, where is also a visiting professor at the law school. His expertise is in Sports Law.[9]

Controversy

Main article: 2011 University of Miami athletics scandal

On August 16, 2011, Yahoo! Sports reported that Nevin Shapiro, a former University of Miami booster incarcerated for his role in a $930 million Ponzi scheme, was alleging that he had provided "thousands of impermissible benefits to at least 72 University of Miami athletes from 2002 through 2010." In the article, Shapiro claimed that during his time as a University of Miami booster, he also co-owned a sports agency, Axcess Sports & Entertainment, with Huyghue. Shapiro alleged that he introduced Huyghue to several Miami Hurricanes players, leaving it to Huyghue to provide "his own set of extra benefits to athletes as he saw fit, including cash payments, travel and other inducements." Shapiro "told federal prosecutors that's precisely what Huyghue did, giving multiple illicit benefits, including cash, to several players at Miami."

Huyghue rejected Shapiro's claims. "He's a convicted felon," Huyghue said in the same article. "I just don't want to get into such fantasy. I just wouldn't want to even go down that path. I don't even care what he said. Whatever he could say, there's just no substance to it."[10]

On January 31, 2012, Huyghue resigned as commissioner of the United Football League.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f George, Thomas (1995-06-02). "Long, winding road to Jacksonville". Sports. New York, N.Y.: The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  2. ^ Klayman, Ben (2009-02-09). "New U.S. football league to begin play in October". Sports. New York, N.Y.: Reuters. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  3. ^ a b AP Staff (2008-02-13). "Suspended cornerback "Pacman" Jones' lawyers now his agents". NFL. McLean, Va.: USA Today. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  4. ^ a b Stuart, Devan (2001-11-12). "Michael Huyghue leaves Jaguars to form new company". Jacksonville Business Journal. Jacksonville, Fla. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  5. ^ Huyghue, Michael (2011-05-25). "NFL Labor Dispute: First Thing We Do Is Get Rid of All the Lawyers". Huffington Post.
  6. ^ King, Peter (1991-03-04). "Out of this world". Sports Illustrated. New York, N.Y. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  7. ^ Ritter, Ken (2007-06-15). "Pacman Jones' lawyer demands evidence". NFL. Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  8. ^ Danielewicz, Brian (2001-12-14). "Sports Business Journal tabs three leaguers". Princeton, N.J.: Ivy League Sports. Archived from the original on April 27, 2006. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  9. ^ "Michael L. Huyghue". Cornell Law School. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  10. ^ "Renegade Miami football booster spells out illicit benefits to players". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
  11. ^ Herbst, Alex. "UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue Resigns as Doubts Swirl Over League's Future". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
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