Athletics

ESPN's Jay Bilas, former U.S. Rep. Tom McMillen highlight sports conference

Coordinated by Penn State's interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Sports in Society, conference to feature Sandy Barbour, Carolyn Kieger and many more Oct. 17-18

ESPN's Jay Bilas, left, will provide the opening keynote address and former U.S. Rep and NBA player Tom McMillen the closing remarks for a two-day conference coordinated by the Center for the Study of Sports in Society. Credit: Photos ProvidedAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A two-day conference focused on intercollegiate athletics — featuring an opening keynote address by ESPN’s Jay Bilas and closing remarks by former U.S. Rep. and NBA player Tom McMillen, president and CEO of the LEAD1 Association — will be conducted Oct. 17-18 on Penn State's University Park campus.

The conference is coordinated by Penn State's interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Sports in Society and features breakout sessions on topics such as amateurism, finance, governance and more.

Among the many top-level panelists and presenters confirmed for the conference are:

  • Sandy Barbour, Penn State vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics.
  • Greg Brown, CEO, Learfield/IMG.
  • Gene DeFillipo, senior executive director, Turnkey Sports and Entertainment, and the former athletic director at Villanova and Boston College.
  • Carolyn Kieger, Penn State women’s basketball coach.
  • Gloria Nevarez, commissioner, West Coast Conference.
  • Amy Perko, CEO, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.
  • Sean Sansiveri, vice president of business and legal affairs, NFL Players Association.

The Bilas keynote will be delivered at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, in the State Theatre in downtown State College. Activities the following day will be conducted in the Lewis Katz Building on campus.

A full conference agenda and registration information may be found online.

Student registration for the event opens Aug. 26. Student tickets for the conference cost $20, with a limited number of tickets for the keynote only available for $5.

Faculty, staff and general public tickets for the conference cost $50. Faculty, staff and general public tickets for the keynote address only will be offered beginning in mid-September, if they remain available.

Established in 2016, the Center for the Study of Sports in Society leverages the expertise of dozens of Penn State faculty with academic and research interests in sports who are housed in units across the University. The center’s structure encourages collaboration, allowing experts to work more effectively across disciplines on cutting-edge issues.

Last Updated June 2, 2021