The Duke Program in American Grand Strategy hosted a panel concerning the altering panorama of school sports activities and the function sports activities play within the United States’ overseas diplomacy, as a part of the Ambassador Dave and Kay Phillips Family International Lecture Series Thursday night. 

Peter Feaver, AGS director and professor of political science and public coverage, moderated the panel. Panelists included former Duke males’s basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski, National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver, Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Martin Dempsey, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The panelists spent a lot time discussing current developments in collegiate sports activities.

Krzyzewski spoke on current convention alignment in NCAA Division 1 athletics, saying that it’s “ridiculous” to have groups touring from the West Coast to the East Coast, as will quickly be the case when the Atlantic Coast Conference expands to incorporate the University of California, Berkeley, Southern Methodist University and Stanford University. 

“We’re taking care of the best TV coverage checks and the money,” he stated. “What the hell are we doing? … Right now, there’s not a clear cut course about where we are going, and we need to set the course.” 

Hirshland worries that the U.S. “education-based sports system” has began to take the “student” away from the title “student athlete.” She additionally cautioned in opposition to portray all sports activities with the identical brush, pointing to the totally different issues every athlete and convention faces. 

Silver identified that many different international locations have a minister of sport who would fund collegiate athletic applications with taxpayer {dollars} funneling into “developing young athletes, not just in college, but before they get to college, and build the sport infrastructure for healthy living and all the other benefits that come from participation.” 

Meanwhile, Krzyzewski expressed his fear that there’s “no leader for college sports” in the meanwhile as every convention is “looking out for its own.” 

Silver famous that politics and sports activities are intertwined. While he believes that politics mustn’t “invade” competitors, he’s additionally pleased with how athletes are comfy in talking out about points which can be vital to them. 

Dempsey acknowledged that it’s very important for U.S. athletes on the worldwide stage to symbolize not simply themselves, but in addition their nation, including that athletes can assist folks “rise above” societal points. 

“Whether it’s players today who are kneeling for the anthem, or the NBA during COVID, Black Lives Matter on our floor, distinguished coaches doing videos and talking about social justice matters, I think it is part and parcel of life,” Silver stated. 

“I also think that doesn’t necessarily mean that as a fan, you have to accept what they’re saying. But I think that it’s a healthy dialogue, engaging with them, understanding their perspective, particularly on the global stage,” Silver added.