The Shirley Povich Center For Sports Journalism
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.
About Shirley Povich
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.
Courses
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.
Past Events
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.
Povich Center Study Abroad
NBA Africa (June 2024)
As part of the Povich Center's first international course, 10 students traveled to Africa to report on the efforts of the National Basketball Association to grow interest in the league and to develop talent across the world's second largest and second most populous continent.
Povich Center director Mark Hyman and broadcast production lecturer Nathan Stevens directed the reporting, which took the students from the Basketball Africa League championship in Kigali, Rwanda, to NBA Academy Africa in Saly, Senegal.
The project produced both text and video stories as well as a documentary film directed and edited by students Jenna Bloom and Alexa Wootten. Check out the trailer for the film, "From Africa: Pathways to the NBA," below.
Povich Center Projects
Youth Tackle Football (February 2024)
In collaboration with Merrill College’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, the Povich Center published “Youth Tackle Football: Balancing risks and rewards depends on race and place” — a four-month investigation on how the risks and rewards of the sport are weighed.
Students interviewed dozens of parents, coaches, youth players, medical researchers and former pro football players, and the Povich and Howard centers worked with Ipsos to conduct an in-depth national public opinion poll of parents. That allowed them to put together a comprehensive illustration of how youth tackle football is viewed today.
The project was done in partnership with PBS NewsHour, which aired a Feb. 13 segment produced by Merrill College student journalists. The six-story project was also was distributed nationally by The Associated Press and featured on NPR's "All Things Considered" on Feb. 8.
Gambling on Campus (February 2023)
In collaboration with Merrill College’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, the Povich Center published “Gambling on Campus,” a wide-ranging investigation into universities and sports betting.
College students are in the highest risk group for problem gambling, yet the investigation shows universities have been slow to create policies, educational programs or restrictions on sports betting. That’s despite the aggressive expansion of sports gambling across the U.S. and abundant advertising at some college campuses.
The project was done in collaboration with PBS NewsHour, which aired two segments based on the reporting in the project. The Associated Press distributed the project nationally.
Unlevel Playing Fields (April 2022)
In collaboration with Merrill College’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, the Povich Center published “Unlevel Playing Fields,” an in-depth investigation into Title IX and high school sports as the landmark legislation celebrates its 50th anniversary in June.
Title IX, which passed in 1972, is a federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination at any school that receives funding from the federal government, including in sports programs. While Title IX has led to a significant increase in girls playing scholastic sports, it has fallen short of achieving equity for high school girls in areas such as facilities, equipment, scheduling and publicity, the four-month, student-led investigation found.
The project was done in collaboration with PBS NewsHour, which aired a Title IX segment. The Associated Press, Just Women’s Sports and Word In Black published parts of the project.
- Associated Press Sports Editors, First place in the 2022 contest's Division C/D Projects category
- The Drake Group, Student Journalism Prize for Investigative Reporting on Intercollegiate Athletics
- Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Press Association, Second prize in contest's Division O (online-only) Investigative Reporting category
- Cited by the Women's Sports Foundation report, "50 Years of Title IX: We’re Not Done Yet"
Pushed Too Far (August 2021)
The first collaboration between the Povich Center and the Howard Center investigated the 22 Division I college football player deaths from exertion-related illnesses since 2000.
The primary causes of death for these incidents are sudden cardiac arrest, heatstroke and collapse from sickle-cell trait. The story explores the fact that football programs and coaches face few repercussions from institutions or the NCAA, even when they violate recommended safety precautions that might have prevented death. The story also examines measures taken by the NCAA to address the problem of exertional death.
The project -- reported by Professor of the Practice Kevin Blackistone’s Spring 2019 and Spring 2020 Sports Reporting and Writing classes, and master’s student Dan Novak -- was published by USA Today and by the Howard Center through Capital News Service.
Povich Center Faculty & Staff
Mark Hyman
Kate Yanchulis
News
Povich Center Names Kevin Blackistone Winner of Lacy-Smith Award
COLLEGE PARK — Kevin Blackistone, a national sports columnist for The Washington Post and professor of the practice at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism, has been named the winner of the 2024-25 Sam Lacy-Wendell Smith Award.
Behind the Scenes of "From Africa: Pathways to the NBA," a Povich Center Documentary
In late May, 10 University of Maryland students — eight from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism — gathered their belongings in Knight Hall and departed for Rwanda and Senegal. The Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism’s first international course took student journalists abroad for 12 days, during which time they reported personal stories, immersed themselves in the vibrant culture of the two African countries — and created a documentary film.
'The Year of Women's Sports': 19th Annual Povich Symposium Will Explore Caitlin Clark Effect and Beyond
COLLEGE PARK — The Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism presents the 19th Annual Povich Symposium, which will explore the transformative moment in women's sports."The Year of Women's Sports" will bring together sports reporters and executives to discuss how the game — and the business — of women's sports are changing, from the Caitlin Clark Effect in women's basketball to the dominance of Team USA women at the Summer Olympics.
