The Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business sport management program, in conjunction with the newly formed Sport Business Club, held its first symposium, “Changing the Tide,” addressing current issues and court cases involving the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) on Oct. 15.
The symposium featured a panel of five distinguished guest speakers including:
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Paul Hewitt, George Mason University head men’s basketball coach
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Richard Southall, Ed.D., assistant professor and director of the College Sport Research Institute at the University of South Carolina
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Brian Wigley, Ed.D., associate professor of sport management at Shenandoah University
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Doug Zipp, director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Shenandoah University
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Craig Esherick, J.D., associate professor and associate director for the Center for Sport Management at George Mason University
The panel answered questions posed by Dean Miles Davis, Ph.D., who served as moderator. Topics included issues affecting Division I and Division III athletics programs and the differences between the two.
The symposium began with questions from Dr. Davis, who gave each panelist a chance to voice their ideas. The panel weighed in on the following questions:
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Is college athletics good or bad?
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Should college athletes receive payment other than scholarships?
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Does the NCAA affect positive or negative outcomes for students?
The panelists provided their insights about college athletics to the audience. Coach Hewitt said Division I college athletics provides opportunities for athletes, who may not have the ability to afford higher education a chance to go to college, to play the sport they love. Dr. Wigley and Zipp said Division III level athletics is good because it showcases sport in its “truest form” — since these athletes do not receive scholarships to play.
A Q&A session offered the audience a chance to interact with the panel. Shenandoah University junior Kelani Bailey asked Hewitt about the possible 10 percent cut in games in Division III athletics. Hewitt quickly turned the question back to Bailey, and asked how she felt. Bailey disagreed with the cuts, noting that a reduction in games played would take away from an athlete’s chances to play. He said athletics should be about the love of the game, and that it should be up to student-athletes to make the decision if they want to reduce their game schedules.
Assistant Professor of Sport Management Fritz Polite, Ph.D., who organized the symposium, considered the event to be a great success. He said the event gave Shenandoah students a chance to consider current issues on the minds of the experts.
“Our goal is to elevate Shenandoah’s sports management program to the national level,” said Polite. “The best way to do that is to invite nationally recognized speakers to campus and to engage with them in discussions about these important issues.”