Trading system and method for institutional athletic and education programs

• US 7,363,272 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John D Reed, Kevin P. Braig
• Original Assignee: John D Reed, Kevin P. Braig
• Inventors: Reed, John D., Braig, Kevin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi; Hani M.
• Application Number:
  US11/754,797
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/20 Education

Abstract

A device and method for trading commodity options and futures related to an educational institution'"'"'s non-rival athletic program to manage risks associated with producing collegiate athletic programs. In one version, the underlying asset of the options and futures contracts is an athletic prospect'"'"'s obligation to participate in a non-rival athletic program at a particular institution in exchange for the opportunity for the athletic prospect to participate in academic and athletic programs within the institution. In a particular form, the underlying asset is a signed National Letter of Intent, a contract that obligates a prospect attending a particular institution to participate in that institution'"'"'s non-rival athletic program. Revenues generated by options and futures contracts traded according to the device and method of the present invention can be used to further the institution'"'"'s educational and athletic missions.

Claims

1. An apparatus for trading an educational institution athletic derivative contract where an underlying commercial relationship corresponding to said derivative contract is a mutually-agreed upon obligation between a particular educational institution and at least one student-athlete such that said at least one student-athlete participates in at least one intercollegiate sport offered by said particular educational institution in return for said particular educational institution providing at least a portion of the cost of said at least one student-athlete to attend said particular educational institution, said apparatus comprising:

a data output configured to convey trading information relating to said derivative contract to a first trader;

a data input configured to receive trading instructions related to said derivative contract from said first trader;

a communications link configured to electronically connect at least one of said data input and said data output with a trading exchange; and

a computer readable medium cooperative with said data input, said data output and the trading exchange such that upon attainment of said obligation between said particular educational institution and said at least one student-athlete, trading on said derivative contract that corresponds to said obligation can commence, further such that upon placement from said first trader of an offer to sell or a bid to buy said derivative contract through said data input, said apparatus processes said bid or said offer in order to establish a trade between said first trader and a second trader with a complementary bid to buy or offer to sell said derivative contract.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer readable medium is selected from the group consisting of hard disk drive, CD, DVD, propagated signal transmitted over said communications link, floppy disk and flash memory.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer readable medium is resident with at least one of said data input, said data output and the trading exchange.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said trading information is arranged in a database comprising:

identification of at least one college athletic program that is available for trading through said apparatus;

current trading price of said derivative contract corresponding to said identified program; and

current number of said derivative contracts corresponding to said identified program that are available for trading.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said data input and said data output comprises a graphical user interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data input and data output comprises a client terminal configured to send, receive said trading information.

7. An apparatus for trading a non-rival college athletic derivative contract where an underlying commercial relationship corresponding to said non-rival college athletic derivative contract is a mutually-agreed upon obligation between a particular educational institution and at least one student-athlete such that said at least one student-athlete participates in at least one intercollegiate sport offered by said particular educational institution in return for said particular educational institution providing at least a portion of the cost of said at least one student-athlete to attend said particular educational institution, said apparatus comprising:

a central trading platform through which trading orders of said non-rival college athletic derivative contract are executed;

a database comprising a collection of available athletic programs from which a trader may choose to trade, each of said athletic programs within said database comprising unique identification indicia pertaining to said non-rival college athletic derivative contract, said database cooperative with said trading platform such that information contained in said database can be retrieved and operated on by said trading platform;

means for exchanging order information pertaining to said non-rival college athletic derivative contract;

means for executing a trade of said non-rival college athletic derivative contract; and

means for informing traders of a fill status of said non-rival college athletic derivative contract.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said central trading platform comprises an electronic trading platform comprising:

at least one processing unit;

at least one memory storage device configured to exchange data with said at least one processing unit; and

an input interface for receiving data associated with said non-rival college athletics derivative contract selected from said database, wherein said means for exchanging order information, said means for executing a trade and said means for informing traders comprise program means cooperative with said electronic trading platform and configured to provide instruction to said processing unit to match a trader buy order with a trader sell order associated with said non-rival college athletics derivative contract selected from said database.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said program means is operative to enable a transaction including a listing, purchase, sale or trade of said non-rival college athletics derivative contract.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said program means further provides for at least one of settling and clearing of said matched trade.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said mutually-agreed upon obligation comprises a National Letter of Intent between said at least one athlete and one said educational institution.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said unique identification indicia of each of said athletic programs further comprises at least one of current trading price and available quantity of said non-rival athletic derivative contracts.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said apparatus is configured as a college athletic futures contract exchange.

14. An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for executing a trade of at least one college athletic futures contract where an underlying commercial relationship corresponding to said futures contract is a mutually-agreed upon obligation between a particular educational institution and at least one student-athlete such that said at least one student-athlete participates in at least one intercollegiate sport offered by said particular educational institution in return for said particular educational institution providing at least a portion of the cost of said at least one student-athlete to attend said particular educational institution, said computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising:

computer readable program code portion for causing a computer to accept at least one bid from a buyer of said at least one college athletic futures contract;

computer readable program code for causing said computer to accept at least one offer from a seller of said at least one college athletic futures contract;

computer readable program code portion for causing said computer to match said bid and said offer, thereby effecting said trade of at least one college athletic futures contract; and

computer readable program code portion for causing said computer to notify said buyer and said seller that said trade of said at least one college athletic futures contract has been executed.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein said computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code portion for allocating to a trading account of at least one of said buyer and said seller an appropriate credit or debit once said trade has been executed.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein said computer readable program code in said article of manufacture further comprises computer readable program code portion for placing a trade order for said at least one college athletic futures contract on an electronic exchange configured to facilitate said trade.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein said computer readable medium comprises a carrier wave signally coupled to a seller of said at least one college athletic futures contract and a buyer of said at least one college athletic futures contract.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 14, further comprising computer readable program code portion comprising a collection of available athletic programs from which at least one of said buyer and said seller may choose, each of said athletic programs comprising unique identification indicia pertaining to said at least one college athletic futures contract.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 14, wherein said computer readable program code is configured to access a database that includes contractual obligations between at least one educational institution that participates in trading college athletic futures contracts and a plurality of athletes attending said at least one educational institution.