Marquette’s Sports Law Program

The Marquette University Law School Sports Law Program and National Sports Law Institute, founded in 1989, have been positively engaged with the Milwaukee Tennis Classic (MTC) since that time. MTC co-founder, Chas Mulcahy, has served on the Sports Law Program Advisory Board for over 25 years.

From the start, the mission of the Marquette Sports Law Program has been to be the leading national educational research entity for the study of legal, ethical and business issues concerning amateur and professional sports. Under the leadership of Director

Paul Anderson, the Sports Law Program and the National Sports Law Institute have provided multiple Marquette University Law School students with opportunities for sports related internships which led to valuable full time positions upon graduation with professional sports organizations and teams.

This program and NSLI recommended Cody Hallowell as an intern and later, as a graduate, of the Marquette Sports Law Program (L-18) in a critical phase of the history of MTC. The challenge began when MTC lost the venue for the indoor finals of its prestigious national intercollegiate tournament when the exceptional venue in Milwaukee Auditorium became the Milwaukee Theater. MTC struggled for several years to continue the indoor finals in other venues with limited success.

In a survival mode, MTC reinvented itself in 2005 as a 4 men and 4 women outdoor fall team event presented for 11 years, from 2005 to 2016. MTC survived but lost its national stature with the regional event.

In 2017, Hallowell and Mulcahy met, and, with the financial assistance of Mulcahy’s lifelong friend, J. Thomas Hurvis, decided to return MTC to its previous status as a top five, premier, individual national intercollegiate men’s and women’s tennis event this time outdoors in fall.

After 11 years, the return of MTC to premier national status was a genuine challenge. There were multiple regional team events at that time but no national events other than the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) and the NCAA Championships. MTC, if successful, would return to top five national status.

Mulcahy and Hallowell went to work. Mulcahy put together a solid financial structure and then met on four occasions at the ITA headquarters in Tempe, AZ. Mulcahy and MTC also received encouragement and support on the restoration from University of Wisconsin Men’s Tennis Coach Danny Westerman. After considerable discussion, based upon the plan presented, the ITA approved MTC as a Gold Level event with the men’s and women’s singles winners receiving wild cards to the ITA National end of year tournament.

While this was taking place, Hallowell reestablished MTC presence with coaches from the top men’s and women’s programs in the U.S. at the USTA Junior Nationals, Kalamazoo, MI. Those coaches reacted positively to the restored format as many of them had played in the MTC years earlier. With continued persistence and effective communication, Hallowell was able to convince the top coaches and programs to return to the MTC. Hallowell became the Tournament Director, strongly supported by Mulcahy. Within a few years University of Southern California, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Harvard, Alabama and Cal-Berkeley sent players who won MTC championships.

During this time, Hallowell formed his own sports marketing and representation firm, 24/8, where he focuses on representation of professional athletes in professional basketball and auto racing.

In recognition of the significant, critical and effective role Hallowell played working with Mulcahy in restoring the MTC to its previous prestigious position as one of the nation’s finest tournaments, during the 47th MTC in 2023, Cody received the first Milwaukee Tennis Classic Distinguished Service Award. As Director of the Marquette Sports Law Program and National Sports Law Institute, Paul Anderson was present and assisted in presenting this Award to Hallowell – now a distinguished graduate.