The Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism prepares students to be innovators and leaders in all facets of sports media. The center's unique, experiential curriculum and public programs elevate and amplify discussion of race, gender, politics and the world -- just as Shirley Povich did each morning in The Washington Post.
Shirley Povich was an award-winning reporter and columnist at The Washington Post from 1923 to 1998. One of the most popular and respected writers in 20th century American journalism, Povich covered hundreds of major sports events during his 75-year career.
The Philip Merrill College of Journalism offers a variety of sports courses that provide students an opportunity to learn about sports coverage in the modern era. Students gain hands-on experience covering teams at the University of Maryland, as well as in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.
The Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism hosts various panels and discussions throughout the year, bringing experts in the field to Merrill College to discuss current events and interact with students.
The center was made possible by a $1 million challenge gift from Shirley Povich’s children – Maury, Lynn and David – as well as support from other involved parties.
Shannon Scovel, a third-year Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism, won the Robert K. Barney Graduate Student Essay Award from the Center for Sociocultural Sport and Olympic Research, which publishes the Journal of Olympic Studies.
Povich Center students were busy this summer. Despite summer work, a pandemic and warm temps, our students were working hard during their time off, gaining experience at various summer jobs and internships around the area. Here are a few highlights:
COLLEGE PARK -- The University of Maryland’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism and Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism have teamed up for the first time to publish “Pushed Too Far,” an investigation into the 22 Division I college football player deaths from exe
