Ole Miss Alumni Will and Channing Allen Graduate Together After Love, Law and Sports
Will and Channing Allen are graduating from the University of Mississippi School of Law this spring, marking a significant milestone in their shared journey that began on the Ole Miss campus. The couple met during their undergraduate years—Will as a baseball recruit and Channing as a soccer player—and married in December 2022 after building lives beyond athletics.
Will Allen, a Gainesville, Florida native, was a standout catcher at Ole Miss and served as team captain during the 2014 season that reached the College World Series. Drafted by the Detroit Tigers, he played professional baseball until retiring in 2019. He then transitioned into medical device sales, leveraging his experience with Arthrex products in surgical settings.
Channing Foster, from Murray, Kentucky, was a five-time All-SEC honoree and All-American with the Ole Miss soccer team. She was drafted by the Chicago Red Stars and played professionally in the U.S. and Europe. Her journey to Ole Miss was shaped by an injury that shifted her recruiting process, leading her to find a community she valued in Oxford.
The couple’s relationship developed over social media and visits to Oxford. Will proposed to Channing during a game day event at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, a moment they say was made special by Ole Miss’s supportive environment. They married in Oxford in December 2022 and decided to pursue law school together, both gaining acceptance to Ole Miss Law.
Balancing law school and marriage proved challenging, with their first anniversary coinciding with final exams. Their shared experiences as athletes and students have strengthened their bond. They focused on sports and entertainment law, exploring issues like name, image, and likeness rights, and developed practical skills in negotiation and transactional law.
William Berry, associate dean for research at Ole Miss Law, praised the couple’s discipline and perseverance, noting their potential to influence the legal profession positively. The Allens’ story highlights how their athletic backgrounds and personal resilience have prepared them for the next chapter in law and life.
Source: Original Article
