2026 Sack Symposium: Meet the Speakers and Honorees

THE ALLEN SACK NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
ADVANCING INTEGRITY IN COLLEGE SPORT
Howard University – Washington, D.C.
Thursday, April 23, 2026

“From Chaos to Consensus: Defining New Models for College Sports”
MEET OUR SPEAKERS AND HONOREES
Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:00-9:15am

JULIE SOMMER, Attorney, Executive Director, The Drake Group Education Fund (TDGEF). A practicing attorney in Seattle, Washington and former world ranked swimmer, Sommer is the first TDGEF executive director. A recognized authority on name, image, and likeness (NIL) policy, gender equity, and other college athletics issues, she has been published by Forbes.com, The Seattle Times, Sportico.com, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Recognized by Super Lawyers Washington, she is an active member of the Washington State Bar Association, King County (Seattle) Bar Association, and the Sports Lawyers Association. Sommer earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin where she was a member of an NCAA National Championship swim team, NCAA All- American, and a member of the United States Swimming National Team.

KERY DAVIS, Vice President and Director of Athletics, Howard University, 2024 National Association of Collegiate Directors (NACDA) Athletic Director of the Year. Davis oversees Howard University’s 500 college athletes and 21 collegiate sports programs, the most of any HBCU. During his tenure, the athletic programs have achieved remarkable success in the classroom, winning awards for their graduation rates and culminating with the highest department GPA in recent history. Since 2015, the Bison have won 40 conference or national championships. The Bison continue to make a positive contribution to their community through their partnerships with Athletes for Hope, the Grassroots Project and Be the Match.

Panel 1 –The Athletes’ Verdict Post-House Settlement – From the Courtroom to the Locker Room: A Frontline Report on the New NCAA

9:15-10:15am

As the dust settles on House v. NCAA, a new era of collegiate athletics has emerged—one defined by direct revenue sharing, employment status debates, and a fractured Title IX landscape. While the courtrooms are busy with filings and appeals, the locker rooms are dealing with the fallout. This session brings together a panel of current and recent college athletes to pull back the curtain on life in the “pay-for-play” era. We move beyond the legal jargon and theoretical debate to the lived reality of the modern college athlete. Join us to hear from the athletes who are currently navigating this uncharted territory and learn why the “solution” provided by the settlement may have created a brand-new set of systemic crises.

LEIGH ERNST FRIESTEDT, MODERATOR, Attorney, is the Founder of Equity IX, LLC, a boutique law firm that specializes in Title IX, women’s sports and education. As a former college athlete at Brown University, Leigh is uniquely qualified to advise universities, college athletes, and coaches on legal matters surrounding Title IX, gender equity, and name, image and likeness matters. Prior to forming Equity IX, Leigh was a Mergers & Acquisitions investment banker on Wall Street at Lazard, Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) and GE Capital. Leigh has over twelve years of M&A experience advising global companies across all sectors with a specialty in media.

CAM GILLUS is a standout college athlete at Howard University, where he serves as a leading guard and defensive specialist. A transfer from Lehigh University, Gillus returned to his D.C. roots for the 2025-26 season, helping lead the Bison to a 24-11 record and a 2026 MEAC All-Tournament Team selection. During this campaign, he averaged 10.8 points and a team-high 4.7 assists per game, while leading the squad in steals. Prior to Howard, Gillus spent two seasons at Lehigh, where he was a Patriot League All-Tournament Team honoree and twice led the team in steals. A graduate of Sidwell Friends School, he was a highly ranked prospect in the D.C. area and a two-time All-State selection. Beyond the court, Gillus is recognized for his leadership and commitment to the cultural and educational mission of HBCUs.

GRACELYN LAUDERMILCH is a freshman Division I Track & Field and Cross Country athlete from Rome, Pennsylvania. Since January 2025, she has been a formal objector to the House v. NCAA settlement agreement and is currently a pro se appellant before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Gracelyn has publicly raised concerns about the settlement’s implications for collegiate athletes, voicing her objections at both the final approval hearing and the fairness hearing. She is committed to advocating for integrity, accountability, and fairness in college athletics.

JULIEN MOUTOME is a former defensive end for the Naval Academy who moved from Cameroon to the U.S. at age seven. A political science major, he attended Mount Saint Joseph before graduating from Saint Frances Academy in 2023, where he earned a spot to represent Maryland in the prestigious Big 33 Football Classic. Moutome joined Navy after a year at the Naval Academy Prep School, becoming a key contributor to the Midshipmen’s 2025 Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy win and Top 25 national ranking. Although a projected starter for 2026, he recently departed the program. Because the transfer portal has closed, his next destination remains uncertain. However, as a proven FBS talent and standout among college athletes, the Baltimore County resident is expected to be a highly coveted addition to another defensive unit. The son of Patrick and the late Jacqueline Moutome, he remains recognized as one of the standout college athletes from the Baltimore area.

CHETANNA NWEKE is a graduate college athlete on the Georgetown University Women’s Basketball team, joining for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. Prior to Georgetown, she played at Princeton University, appearing in 88 games, including standout Ivy League performances. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Princeton and obtained a Master of Science in Health and the Public Interest from Georgetown, where she is currently pursuing a second master’s in Sports Management. A Stone Ridge High School alum, she was a two-time captain and Montgomery County Player of the Year, scoring over 1,500 points. Despite a season-ending injury within the first 5 seconds of her first game at Georgetown, she remains a leader and advocate for athlete mental health and NCAA reform.

SOPHIA ROSS is a freshman Sport and Entertainment Management major at the University of South Carolina. The Long Island, New York native grew up playing lacrosse, both in high school and on competitive club lacrosse teams, where she competed against nationally ranked players and teams. In the Fall of 2023, she committed to play Division I Women’s Lacrosse at Youngstown State University. In anticipation of the House v. NCAA settlement, which was finalized in the spring of 2025, she was cut from the team in the fall of 2024, losing both her roster spot and scholarship due to the projected new roster limits.

SYDNEY SEABROOKS is a standout freshman gymnast at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she recently earned 2026 Second Team All-America honors on floor exercise. A Clearwater, Florida native and Exercise and Sports Science major, Sydney ranked among the top ten nationally this season and holds one of the highest all-around scores in program history. As an intern in the CKA Virtual Internship Program (VIP), she applies her athletic discipline to marketing and data strategies. Sydney is dedicated to the “100/100 Standard,” bridging the gap between elite competition and professional healthcare aspirations.

MORGAN SMITH is a Division I college athlete at the University of Georgia, studying Business and Sports Management. She began her collegiate career at Georgetown University, earning BIG East Freshman of the Year honors before transferring to compete at a higher level. An accomplished amateur golfer, Morgan has won two Massachusetts Women’s Amateurs and two New England Amateurs, and qualified for seven USGA events. At Georgia, she earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition, served on the SEC Community Service Team, was inducted into the College Athlete Leadership Program, represented her team as a SAAC member, and served on the PAWS Committee. She also has two younger sisters who play Division I golf.

Panel 2 – The Cost of Undervaluation: Media Rights, Revenue Sharing, and the Rising Value of Women’s College Sports

10:30am-11:30pm ET

Join top leaders in sports broadcasting as they dissect the seismic shifts shaping college athletics. From the landmark Kaplan Report, to NIL legislation, to the House v. NCAA settlement allowing direct athlete pay, we’re in a new world. Panelists will explore the new media landscape as well as how the findings of the landmark Kaplan Report—which revealed the NCAA’s systematic undervaluing of women’s sports—stand in stark contrast to the new revenue-sharing formulas of the House v. NCAA settlement. Do these new deals, which allow for direct athlete payments, truly reflect the surging value of women’s sports and avoid perpetuating the historical inequities highlighted by the Kaplan Report? While revenue-sharing models are currently being implemented at institutions, proceeding without proper valuation creates a significant legal and ethical risk of solidifying a financial structure built on the undervaluing of women’s sports. Our panelists will share their insights on how this evolving landscape is creating unprecedented opportunities and challenges for media companies, institutions, and athletes and how this focus on equity and value will drive the next generation of growth in college athletics.

AVA WALLACE, MODERATOR, Senior Writer for The Athletic/New York Times. Wallace joined The Athletic in 2026 as a senior tennis writer. Previously, Wallace served 10 years at The Washington Post, where she covered the NBA, WNBA, women’s college basketball, tennis, and the Olympics. At the Post, Wallace also authored the weekly newsletter, The Sports Moment, and was an occasional guest host of the paper’s daily news podcast, Post Reports. At the Paris Olympics in 2024, she hosted a daily podcast for the Post, also called The Sports Moment, her third stint reporting on the Olympic Games. She previously spent four years covering the Washington Wizards following her beat covering the Washington Mystics as well as local college sports. She hails from the Washington, D.C. metro area.

BETH BROOKE, Director and Former Global Vice Chair at EY, serves on numerous boards, including The New York Times, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, The Knight Commission, Project Level, eHealth, and ULSE, among others. She is the former Global Vice Chair – Public Policy at EY, where she shaped strategic direction and engaged with leaders worldwide on capital market stability. A prominent advocate for fairness and equity, she has been named to Forbes’ “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” list eleven times. She founded the EY Women Athletes Business Network. Beth played basketball at Purdue University and received the NCAA’s Theodore Roosevelt Award, the organization’s highest individual honor. She is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and co-chairs WomenDriveToo.

JOHN KOSNER, President, Kosner Media. Kosner is an internet pioneer and a five-decade veteran of sports media. Today, he is an investor and advisor in sports tech startups and president of Kosner Media, a digital media and sports consultancy. Previously, John ran digital media at ESPN for 15 years and was the head of U.S. Broadcasting at the NBA during the Dream Team era. An expert in media rights and valuations, he co-authored the NCAA’s gender equity analysis of college basketball championships. John and his former NBA colleague Ed Desser write periodic columns for the Sports Business Journal. Later this year, they will release their first book about the sports media business.

SHIRIN MALKANI, Co-Founder, Verily Advisors, leverages over twenty-five years’ experience as a senior executive and attorney to advise tech, media, and sports businesses. Prior to her current consultancy practice, she was Co-Chair of the Sports Group at Perkins Coie, Chief Commercial Officer of Buzzer Media, and Senior Vice President of Global Media Distribution at the National Basketball Association. In her seven years at the NBA, Shirin led a team tasked with cross-platform distribution of live games, stats, and other content. More recently, she has worked extensively with YouTube on deals such as the acquisition of NFL Sunday Ticket rights and the 2025 Disney renewal. Shirin holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

CAROL STIFF, President of Stiff Sports Media Consulting, LLC. A trailblazer in sports media, Carol Stiff is credited with the massive expansion of women’s basketball coverage, most notably the televised NCAA Tournament and the launch of the WNBA. She was also responsible for programming all 21 NCAA Championships on ESPN. She launched Stiff Sports Media Consulting after serving as the inaugural president of the Women’s Sports Network and spending over 30 years as Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions at ESPN. An industry authority and frequent speaker, she executive-produced the documentaries Dream On and 37 Words. Stiff was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021 and received the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s John Bunn Award. Stiff continues to advise on programming and production while advocating for women’s sports and college athletes.

National Awards Ceremony and Luncheon

11:45am-12:45pm

WILLIAM J. HILL, MD, MPH, Board Member, The Drake Group Education Fund, HOST. Dr. Hill brings the unique perspective of a former elite competitor to the field of orthopedic surgery. A four-year letterman and 2012 football team captain for University, Dr. Hill pursued the professional ranks with the Indianapolis Colts before dedicating his career to medicine. He earned his MPH from UVA and his MD from Howard University, followed by a rigorous residency at USC + Los Angeles General Medical Center and a premier Sports Medicine Fellowship at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute. As the founder of Athlete Forever, Dr. Hill is a visionary advocate for the “whole athlete,” supporting individuals from recruitment through retirement. He recently launched his own independent orthopedic practice, specializing in regenerative medicine and joint preservation, where he leverages his firsthand experience in high-stakes athletics to provide championship-level care.

2026 EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE AWARD

KEITH ADAMS, Ed.D. is being honored with The Drake Group Education Fund Exceptional Service Award for this career-long commitment to the holistic development and academic integrity of college athletes. As the President and Founder of the CKA SAVE Project, Dr. Adams has leveraged over 30 years of experience as an educator and administrator to bridge the “resume gap” for students through the innovative CKA Virtual Internship Program. His dedication to the “100/100” approach ensures that college athletes are empowered to achieve a sustainable balance between academic excellence and athletic success. Beyond his direct mentorship, Dr. Adams’s contributions as an accomplished author, researcher, and host of the Odd Coaches Podcast have provided a vital global platform for leadership and advocacy, reflecting the core mission of The Drake Group Education Fund to protect the educational pathways of those competing in intercollegiate sports.

2026 PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

THE HONORABLE MARIA CANTWELL (D-WA),
United States Senator, Washington.

Senator Maria Cantwell has been one of the most active voices in Congress regarding the overhaul of college sports. As a leader on the Senate Commerce Committee, Senator Cantwell has spearheaded a multi-front legislative effort to transform the landscape for college athletes with the primary focus of balancing massive revenue growth with athlete welfare. Key actions include the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement (SAFE) Act (S. 2932), which mandates ten-year scholarship guarantees and long-term medical coverage for injuries, and the Helping Undergraduate Students Thrive with Long-Term Earnings (HUSTLE) Act (S. 3378), which regulates NIL agents. In August 2025, she sent a pivotal letter to over 350 university presidents, warning them against supporting legislation that would roll back athlete protections. Most recently, she introduced the College Sports Competitive Act of 2026, a bipartisan effort to allow conferences to pool media rights. This move aims to generate nearly $9 billion in revenue to save non-revenue and Olympic sports from being cut. Throughout these efforts, Cantwell has utilized GAO reports to expose a lack of transparency in how universities distribute their record-breaking media profits.

Senator Cantwell deserves the Public Service Award for her tireless advocacy in centering the rights of college athletes within a rapidly commercialized industry. Her commitment to a bipartisan approach—evidenced by her collaboration with both Democrats and Republicans—demonstrates a pragmatic dedication to seeking a durable, federal solution that ensures the long-term stability and fairness of college sports for all institutions.

2026 PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

THE HONORABLE MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER (R-WA)
United States Representative 5th District of Washington

Representative Michael Baumgartner has distinguished his early tenure in Congress by prioritizing structural reform and cross-aisle collaboration on the complex issue of college sports. In Congressman Baumgartner’s first year in Congress, he introduced the Restore College Sports Act (H.R. 2663), The PROTECT Student Athletes Act (H.R. 1552), the Correcting Opportunity and Accountability in Collegiate Hiring Act (COACH) Act (H.R. 5812), and the PROTECT Act (H.R. 5693). These proposed measures are designed to bring stability to the college sports landscape by requiring equal revenue sharing from NIL deals, banning prop bets involving college athletes, promoting conference realignment based on geography, imposing limits on coaching salaries, and restricting certain agreements between intercollegiate athletics programs and private equity or sovereign wealth funds.

Beyond his individual legislative pursuits, Representative Baumgartner has also cultivated a bipartisan working relationship with Senator Maria Cantwell through their shared interest in addressing challenges within collegiate athletics. Their collaboration began to take shape in July 2025, when they found common ground on concerns about how federal policy was affecting competitive balance across institutions. The two lawmakers regularly discuss challenges and pathways to strengthen college sports governance.

By advocating for consistent, high-standard protections, Representative Baumgartner’s leadership has been instrumental in addressing the immediate needs of college athletes. This bipartisan work underscores a shared vision for a more equitable and sustainable future, ensuring that institutional transparency and athlete welfare remain protected regardless of a school’s conference or zip code.

2026 CHANGEMAKER AWARD

CODY CAMPBELL
Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Double Eagle Energy Holdings
Chairman of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents

Cody Campbell is a prominent national strategist dedicated to the structural preservation of collegiate athletics. A former NFL offensive lineman with the Indianapolis Colts and a standout athlete for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Campbell’s commitment to the intersection of higher education and sports is lifelong. As the founder of the nonprofit initiative Saving College Sports, Campbell has emerged as a pivotal figure in the national discourse on reform. At a time of unprecedented commercialization and legal shifts, he has become a leading voice for a sustainable collegiate model that protects universities’ educational missions. His advocacy specifically focuses on the financial sustainability of non-revenue and Olympic sports, which are increasingly vulnerable in the current landscape.

Campbell’s leadership is defined by a commitment to modernizing federal policy. He has been instrumental in proposing updates to the Sports Broadcasting Act, aimed at creating new revenue streams to support all athletic departments. His extensive work includes testifying before Congress and serving on a presidential commission dedicated to the future of the industry. By championing a legislative framework that balances market evolution with the protection of the broad-based athletic model and college athletes, Campbell has demonstrated the extraordinary thought leadership required to earn The Drake Group Education Fund 2026 Changemaker Award.

2026 STUDENT JOURNALISM PRIZE FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING IN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

MIA HILKOWITZ, KASEY WATKINS, NATHAN SHRIBERG, SAVANNAH SLONE
Indiana Daily Student
Indiana University
“Could Big Ten schools use NIL deals to circumvent salary cap?”

The Drake Group Education Fund is proud to award the Student Journalism Prize for Investigative Reporting to Mia Hilkowitz, Nathan Shriberg, Savannah Slone, and Kasey Watkins of the Indiana Daily Student. Their winning investigation, Could Big Ten schools use NIL deals to circumvent salary cap?, represents a monumental achievement in data journalism through the meticulous analysis of hundreds of third-party disclosures across the Big Ten. By exposing reporting inconsistencies that limit public oversight, the team successfully highlighted how NIL mechanisms might be utilized to bypass current and future financial regulations.

The selection committee praised the project’s professional-level methodological rigor, its ability to distill complex legal and financial structures into accessible reporting, and its unwavering commitment to institutional accountability and transparency for college athletes.

POST-LUNCH FIRESIDE CHAT with Cody Campbell

12:45-1:30pm

This fireside chat features an in-depth conversation between the Executive Director of The Drake Group Education Fund, Julie Sommer, and Cody Campbell, founder of Saving College Sports and recipient of the 2026 Changemaker Award. The discussion explores the urgent need for structural reform in collegiate athletics, focusing on Campbell’s proposal to modernize the Sports Broadcasting Act. Topics include the financial sustainability of non-revenue and Olympic sports, the debate over pooling media rights, and the potential risks of conference breakaways. The conversation also addresses the intersection of Title IX compliance, private equity’s entry into the market, and the pursuit of a federal standard to preserve the academic mission of universities while supporting college athletes.

CODY CAMPBELL, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Double Eagle Energy Holdings, Chairman of the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents. Campbell is a prominent national strategist dedicated to the structural preservation of collegiate athletics. A former NFL offensive lineman with the Indianapolis Colts and a standout for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Campbell’s commitment to the intersection of higher education and sports is lifelong. As the founder of the nonprofit initiative Saving College Sports, he has emerged as a pivotal figure in the national discourse on reform. Amid unprecedented commercialization and legal shifts, Campbell is a leading voice for a sustainable collegiate model that protects the educational mission of universities. His advocacy specifically focuses on the financial stability of non-revenue and Olympic sports, which face increasing vulnerability in the current landscape. Campbell’s leadership is defined by a commitment to modernizing federal policy, including proposed updates to the Sports Broadcasting Act to support all athletic departments.

Panel 3 – The Labor Paradox: Navigating the Complexities of Collegiate Athlete Unionization

1:45-2:45pm

As the 2026 collegiate landscape shifts from the “amateur” era toward a formal revenue-sharing model, the conversation around collective bargaining has moved from theoretical debate to a complex legal and structural confrontation. However, the path to a unionized collegiate system is fraught with structural, legal, and ethical hurdles that challenge the very sustainability of athletic departments. This panel explores the friction between athlete advocacy and the operational realities of higher education. Rather than assuming collective bargaining is an inevitable “endgame,” this session critically examines the significant complications inherent in such a transition.

KELSEY NICOLE NELSON, MODERATOR, aka “KNN,” is an award-winning D.C.-based sports journalist, educator, and multi-business owner. She currently serves as a host and reporter for FOX Sports Radio, a studio host for the Atlantic 10 Conference, and a color analyst for American University women’s basketball. Nelson is also the founder, host, and executive producer of the “Listen In With KNN” podcast network. Her career includes work with NBC/Peacock, Bally Sports, the Washington Commanders, and The Draft Network, as well as appearances on major media outlets across the U.S. and abroad. She is often seen on FOX 5 DC locally. The Heisman voter was named to Maryland’s Top 100 Women of 2025 and Leading Women Under 40 by The Daily Record.

REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL BAUMGARTNER (R-WA), United States Representative, 5th District of Washington. Rep. Baumgartner has distinguished his tenure in Congress by prioritizing structural reform and cross-aisle collaboration in college sports. In Congressman Baumgartner’s first year in Congress, he introduced the Restore College Sports Act (H.R. 2663), The PROTECT Student Athletes Act (H.R. 1552), the Correcting Opportunity and Accountability in Collegiate Hiring Act (COACH) Act (H.R. 5812), and the PROTECT Act (H.R. 5693). These proposed measures are designed to stabilize the college sports landscape by requiring equal revenue sharing from NIL deals, banning prop bets involving college athletes, promoting conference realignment based on geography, imposing limits on coaching salaries, and restricting certain agreements between intercollegiate athletics programs and private equity or sovereign wealth funds.

FRANK HAWKINS, Attorney, Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, is a nationally recognized sports executive with over 30 years of experience. Hawkins’ career is highlighted by 15 years in senior leadership at the NFL, where he served as Senior Vice President of Business Affairs. In that role, Hawkins acted as principal counsel for the league’s broadcasting and finance committees, serving as a staff architect for landmark television agreements and the G-3 stadium financing program. A specialist in media strategy and governance, Hawkins co-founded Scalar Media Partners, advising international sports organizations and college athletics programs on labor, media, technology and sponsorship models. Beyond his legal practice, Hawkins spent nine years teaching at NYU’s Tisch Institute for Global Sport and remains a prominent lecturer. At Shumaker, Hawkins leverages this deep expertise to help clients navigate the complex and evolving intersections of sports, media, and technology.

DIONNE KOLLER, Professor of Law. Koller is a prominent sports law scholar and Director of the Center for Sport and the Law at the University of Baltimore School of Law. Her expertise spans youth, Olympic, Paralympic, and education-based sports, making her a sought-after consultant for state and federal legislatures. Notably, Koller was appointed by Senator Maria Cantwell to co-chair the bipartisan Commission on the State of U.S. Olympic and Paralympics, delivering its final report to Congress in 2024. Her leadership extends to the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Sports Law Section and the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s Administrative Review Panel. Koller’s contributions have been recognized with the 2024 AALS award for significant impact on the field, alongside multiple university awards for excellence in teaching and scholarship. Previously, she practiced law at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld in Washington, D.C.

MICHELE ROBERTS, Attorney, served as the Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) from 2014 until her retirement in January 2022. In this groundbreaking role as the first woman to lead a professional sports union in North America, she advocated for the rights and fair compensation of professional basketball players. Before transitioning to sports leadership, Roberts established herself as an elite trial lawyer, trying more than 150 cases to jury verdicts. Her distinguished legal career included serving as Chief of the Trial Division for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia and as a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, she has also taught trial advocacy at Harvard Law School. Currently, she serves on several boards, including The Marshall Project and her alma mater, Wesleyan University.

Panel 4 – The New Playbook: Redefining Governance in the Era of College Super-Leagues

3:00-4:00pm ET

In an era defined by rapid deregulation and shifting capital, the future of the NCAA is no longer a localized concern—it is a national priority. This session brings together key stakeholders and strategic thinkers to debate the challenges of managing institutional complexity and weakened governance in a new economic and federal landscape. We will explore whether new regulatory frameworks can stabilize a system currently navigating unprecedented volatility.

KEVIN BLACKSTONE, MODERATOR, Columnist, MS NOW. Kevin Blackistone has been an award-winning national sports columnist since 1990, now contributing to MS NOW, formerly at The Washington Post, AOL Fanhouse and The Dallas Morning News. He is a professor of the practice at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. He is co-host of the award-winning podcast “Our New South”, co-producer and co-writer of a 2022 documentary on the history of and fight against mascoting Native Americans, a contributor to National Public Radio, co-author of “A Gift for Ron” — a memoir by former NFL star Everson Walls — and was a panelist on ESPN’s long-running sports show, “Around the Horn.” Blackstone is a graduate of Northwestern University and Boston University. He has authored academic journal articles on diversity in sports media and hagiography in sports documentaries.

THE HONORABLE MARIA CANTWELL (D-WA), United States Senator, Washington. Senator Maria Cantwell, Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee, has emerged as a leading architect of reform in the rapidly evolving world of collegiate athletics. Her legislative strategy focuses on a critical balance: harnessing the industry’s massive revenue growth while ensuring the long-term welfare of college athletes. Cantwell’s impact is defined by landmark legislation, including the SAFE Act, which mandates ten-year scholarship guarantees and extended medical coverage for sports-related injuries, and the HUSTLE Act, designed to bring transparency to NIL agent regulations. In August 2025, she took a firm stand against rollbacks in athlete protections by challenging university leadership nationwide to prioritize college athlete well-being over institutional profit. Most recently, she introduced the bipartisan College Sports Competitive Act of 2026. This initiative allows conferences to pool media rights, aiming to generate an estimated $9 billion to preserve non-revenue and Olympic sports. Beyond her legislative pen, Senator Cantwell utilizes GAO reports to demand financial transparency, ensuring that the record-breaking profits of modern college sports are handled with accountability.

WAYNE A. I. FREDERICK, Interim President, Howard University. Dr. Frederick currently serves as the Interim President of Howard University, having previously led the institution as its 17th president from 2014 to 2023. Recently appointed as the distinguished Charles R. Drew Professor of Surgery, Dr. Frederick has significantly advanced Howard’s commitment to academic innovation, fiscal stability, and student opportunity. During his tenure, he oversaw the modernization of university facilities and the expansion of programs supporting student success. A triple alumnus of Howard University, he earned his B.S., M.D., and an MBA. His distinguished academic career includes roles as the Director of the Cancer Center and Provost at Howard, following an initial appointment at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Frederick is a widely recognized expert on healthcare disparities, with research focusing on narrowing racial and gender gaps in cancer care outcomes. He serves on the boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Humana Inc. His accolades include the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

E. GORDON GEE, President Emeritus, West Virginia University. Dr. E. Gordon Gee is a prominent figure in American higher education, having spent more than 40 years in leadership roles, including two tenures as president of West Virginia University and The Ohio State University. His extensive administrative career also includes presidencies at Vanderbilt University, Brown University, and the University of Colorado, earning him recognition from Time magazine as one of the nation’s top university leaders. A native of Vernal, Utah, Gee’s academic foundation includes an honors degree in history from the University of Utah, followed by both a J.D. and an Ed.D. from Columbia University. Before transitioning into university administration, Gee gained significant legal experience clerking for the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals and serving as a judicial fellow for the U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice Warren Burger. He is a prolific scholar who has co-authored over a dozen books on the evolution and future of public higher education, alongside numerous articles focusing on the intersection of law and pedagogy. Beyond the classroom and office, his influence extends to several governance boards, where he has held leadership positions within the Big 12 Conference, the College Football Playoff Board of Managers, and various national advisory councils dedicated to civil society and educational advancement.

OLIVER LUCK, Attorney, provides leadership experience spanning collegiate and professional athletics in the United States and Europe. He currently serves as Chairman of Clemson Ventures and as a member of the Board of Governors of West Virginia University. His previous roles have included Chair and co-founder of Altius Sports Partners, Athletic Director of West Virginia University, Executive Vice President for Regulatory Affairs and Strategic Partnerships of the NCAA, Commissioner of the XFL, and President of NFL Europe. Additionally, he has been in leadership roles with the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer and the National Football League and was Chief Executive Officer of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, where he oversaw the financing, construction and management of professional sports and entertainment infrastructure in Houston, including Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium and Toyota Center. Luck holds a JD from the University of Texas School of Law (1987), and a BS in History from West Virginia University. Luck was a stand-out quarterback at WVU and a 2nd round pick of the Houston Oilers.