Askwith Essentials: College + Athletics = A Complex American Relationship

Speakers: 

• Mark Emmert, president, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
• Robin Harris, executive director, The Ivy League 
• Susan Herbst, president, University of Connecticut
• Chris Howard, president, Robert Morris University

Moderator: James Soto Antony, senior lecturer on education and faculty director, 
Higher Education Program, HGSE

There are few traditions as storied and entrenched in our culture and society as college athletics. While the visibility and challenges of college athletics are widely recognized, less-known are the positive impacts participation in college athletics has on student athletes, 20 percent of whom are the first in their family to attend college. Yet, only in the United States do colleges and universities formally sponsor athletic programs, the costs of which can be high. Why do so many institutions put such an emphasis on athletics, and what impact does this have on colleges and universities, students, and our education system overall? How can college athletics be improved to better serve both students and institutions? And what would the country be like without college athletics?

In this forum, experts will engage in a conversation about the tangible and intangible benefits of college athletics, with the aim of broadening how we think about the role of sport and its impact on education and society.