Big 12 to Host Forum on State of Collegiate Athletics Wednesday
The Big 12 Conference will host “The State of College Athletics Forum” the first in a series of forums dedicated to the issues facing college athletics, Wednesday, August 6, at 3 p.m. CT. A broad-based panel from college athletics and the sports media will sit down to discuss the current state of intercollegiate athletics and its place within the context of higher education. A live stream of the event will be available above, or by visiting Big12Sports.com.
“It is our goal through these forums to bring some of the brightest minds in sports into the same room to talk about the current state of college athletics,” said Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “As leaders in intercollegiate athletics we fully understand that in order to impact change one must frankly look at the past with an eye toward the future. Addressing these issues will have a transformative effect on college athletics, with implications far beyond the high-profile sports.”
NBC broadcaster and writer Jimmy Roberts will moderate the New York City forum.
“The issues currently facing college athletics are daunting, but by no means insurmountable,” said Roberts. “I am a fan of college athletics and a believer of its principals. A forum such as this is the perfect way to get people to start talking about how college athletics can evolve with the times.”
In addition to Bowlsby and Roberts, other members of the New York City forum will include Kevin Blackistone, John Currie, Armen Keteyian, Dr. Donna Lopiano, Oliver Luck, Juliet Macur, Steve Patterson, Judge Ken Starr and Selvin Young. Each of their bios is listed below.
Bob Bowlsby is the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference. Prior to his role at the Big 12, Bowlsby spent six years as Athletics Director at Stanford University, and 15 years as the chief administrator for the University of Iowa Department of Athletics. Bowlsby has chaired several NCAA committees and served on the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors.
Kevin Blackistone is a journalism professor at the University of Maryland and a frequent panelist for ESPN’s Around the Horn. He contributes columns to The Guardian and commentary to NPR and PBS. He previously worked for The Dallas Morning News and AOL Fanhouse.
John Currie has been the Athletic Director at Kansas State University since 2009. Currie was named a 2013 Under Armour AD of the Year. He was also the recipient of the 2012 Bobby Dodd AD of Year Award and in 2011 was named to the SportsBusiness Journal’s “Forty Under 40” list of national sports leaders.
Armen Keteyian is the lead correspondent for “60 Minutes Sports” on Showtime and a contributing correspondent on “60 Minutes” on CBS. Keteyian co-wrote The New York Times bestseller “The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football.”
Dr. Donna Lopiano is the President and founder of Sports Management Resources. Previously, she was the Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Sports Foundation and was named one of “The 10 Most Powerful Women in Sports” by Fox Sports. Dr. Lopiano also is a past-president of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.
Oliver Luck is the Athletics Director at West Virginia University, his alma mater. Luck spent five seasons in the National Football League as a quarterback for the Houston Oilers. He was named in 2013 to a three-year term on the inaugural College Football Playoff selection committee, and is the father of two former student athletes.
Juliet Macur is a sports columnist for The New York Times. She is also the author of the best-selling book entitled, “Cycle of Lies: The Fall of Lance Armstrong.” Her work has received honors from the National Press Club, the Associated Press Sports Editors, the Society of Professional Journalists and the New York Press Club. Juliet brings a unique perspective to the panel as she was the captain of the Columbia University rowing team while at Barnard College.
Steve Patterson is the Men’s Athletics Director at The University of Texas. Prior to joining Texas, he was the Athletics Director at Arizona State University. Patterson also worked more than two decades in professional sports serving as the general manager of the NBA’s Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, senior vice president and chief development officer of the NFL’s Houston Texans and president and general manager of the Houston Aeros hockey team.
Jimmy Roberts (Moderator) is a 13-time Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and writer known most recently for his work on NBC and Golf Channel as an essayist, interviewer and studio host. Roberts has covered just about every major sporting event during his 30-year broadcasting career, including the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the NBA Finals, Wimbledon and golf.
Judge Ken Starr serves as the chief executive officer of Baylor University, holding the titles of President and Chancellor. Judge Starr also serves on the faculty of Baylor Law School as The Louise L. Morrison Chair of Constitutional Law and teaches a seminar on current Constitutional issues. Judge Starr is a member of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU).
Selvin Young is a former running back for the Denver Broncos and led the University of Texas Football team to a BCS National Championship. Young is now a motivational speaker and entrepreneur. Young owns Custom Food Truck Builders, a full-service customization and build-out company for mobile businesses.
