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.
This year's Povich Symposium, which will feature two panels, will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at Riggs Alumni Center. The conversations also will be streamed live on the Merrill College YouTube page.
The event is free and open to the public, but registration in required and seating is limited. REGISTER: https://go.umd.edu/Povich2024
The first panel, "Changing the Business of Women's Sports," will include:
- Christine Brennan, USA TODAY Sports columnist and CNN, ABC News and PBS NewsHour commentator
- Phil de Picciotto, Octagon sports and entertainment agency president and founder
- Rosalyn Durant, ESPN executive vice president of programming & acquisitions
The second panel, "Changing the Coverage of Women's Sports," will include:
- Bonnie Bernstein '92, veteran sports journalist, founder and CEO of Walk Swiftly Productions and a member of Merrill College's Board of Visitors
- Mirin Fader, The Ringer senior staff writer and New York Times bestselling author
- Melissa Ludtke, author of "Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside"
- Ava Wallace, The Washington Post women's sports and tennis reporter and The Sports Moment newsletter writer
- Pam Ward '84, ESPN play-by-play commentator for women's college basketball, college softball and the WNBA
The first discussion will be moderated by Bernstein, while the second will be moderated by Brennan.
"Many of the most impactful stories in sports this year are being told by and about women. We'll look back on 2024 as an inflection point, a turn toward equity in opportunity for women at every level," said Mark Hyman, Merrill College’s George Solomon Chair in Sports Journalism and director of the Povich Center. "This year's Povich Symposium brings together an impressive panel of journalists and business leaders to reflect on that change."
The first panel will begin promptly at 6 p.m., with the second to immediately follow. A reception will be held at the conclusion of both conversations with drinks and heavy hors d'oeuvres.
For more information, contact Kate Yanchulis, assistant director, Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism, at povichcenter@umd.edu.
About 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.