San Francisco Arts & Athletics, Inc., et al. v. United States Olympic Committee et al.

Decided June 25, 1987. Lewis Franklin Powell Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 86-270 · 483 U.S. 522 (1987) · Cited 528 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 5–4.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Burton v. Wilmington Parking Authority · 365 U.S. 715 (1961)
• Jackson v. Metropolitan Edison Co. · 419 U.S. 345 (1974)
• Rendell-Baker v. Kohn · 457 U.S. 830 (1982)
• Blum v. Yaretsky · 457 U.S. 991 (1982)
• Spence v. Washington · 418 U.S. 405 (1974)
• Park 'N Fly, Inc. v. Dollar Park & Fly, Inc. · 469 U.S. 189 (1985)
• Moose Lodge No. 107 v. Irvis · 407 U.S. 163 (1972)
• Friedman v. Rogers · 440 U.S. 1 (1979)
• Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission · 447 U.S. 557 (1980)
• Virginia State Board of Pharmacy v. Virginia Citizens Consumer Council, Inc. · 425 U.S. 748 (1976)
• Cohen v. California · 403 U.S. 15 (1971)
• Village of Schaumburg v. Citizens for a Better Environment · 444 U.S. 620 (1980)
• Zacchini v. Scripps-Howard Broadcasting Co. · 433 U.S. 562 (1977)
• United States v. O'Brien · 391 U.S. 367 (1968)
• Flagg Bros., Inc. v. Brooks · 436 U.S. 149 (1978)
• Marsh v. Alabama · 326 U.S. 501 (1946)
• International News Service v. Associated Press · 248 U.S. 215 (1919)
• Terry v. Adams · 345 U.S. 461 (1953)
• Adickes v. S. H. Kress & Co. · 398 U.S. 144 (1970)
• Buckley v. Valeo · 424 U.S. 1 (1976)
• Hoffman Estates v. Flipside, Hoffman Estates, Inc. · 455 U.S. 489 (1982)
• Bolling v. Sharpe · 347 U.S. 497 (1954)
• Thornhill v. Alabama · 310 U.S. 88 (1940)
• Blue Chip Stamps v. Manor Drug Stores · 421 U.S. 723 (1975)
• Members of the City Council of Los Angeles v. Taxpayers for Vincent · 466 U.S. 789 (1984)
• Shelley v. Kraemer · 334 U.S. 1 (1948)
• Kelly v. Robinson · 479 U.S. 36 (1986)
• Shuttlesworth v. City of Birmingham · 394 U.S. 147 (1969)
• Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. v. Nation Enterprises · 471 U.S. 539 (1985)
• Ohralik v. Ohio State Bar Assn. · 436 U.S. 447 (1978)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck · 587 U.S. 802 (2019)
• Texas v. Johnson · 491 U.S. 397 (1989)
• Vidal v. Elster · 602 U.S. 286 (2024)
• Board of Trustees of State Univ. of NY v. Fox · 492 U.S. 469 (1989)
• United States v. Alvarez · 567 U.S. 709 (2012)
• Matal v. Tam · 582 U.S. 218 (2017)
• Lebron v. National Railroad Passenger Corporation · 513 U.S. 374 (1995)
• Eldred v. Ashcroft · 537 U.S. 186 (2003)
• American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance v. Sullivan · 526 U.S. 40 (1999)
• Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co. · 500 U.S. 614 (1991)
• Edenfield v. Fane · 507 U.S. 761 (1993)
• National Collegiate Athletic Assn. v. Tarkanian · 488 U.S. 179 (1988)
• Morse v. Republican Party of Virginia · 517 U.S. 186 (1996)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).