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Advancing Public Purposes

Sports as an Academic Discipline: Why We Should and How We Can

Friday, January 23, 2026
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM East Coast USA Time
Location: Monument - Level M4

    Primary Presenter(s)

  • Bridget Trogden (she/her/hers)

    Dean and Professor
    American University
    American University
    Washington, District of Columbia, United States

    PDF

    • Presenter(s)

  • John Armstrong

    Professor of Philosophy
    Southern Virginia University

  • EC

    Eric Carter

    Assistant Vice President for Student Success and Academic Growth
    Lindsey Wilson College

  • Lou Matz

    Chair, Department of Philosophy
    University of the Pacific

  • Erianne Weight

    Director, Center for Research in Intercollegiate Athletics
    University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

This panel will explore the emerging movement to recognize competitive sports as an academic discipline within the liberal arts tradition. Drawing on historical precedent, philosophical foundations, and contemporary research—including reports from the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, connections to AAC&U VALUE rubrics, and linkage to National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career competencies—panelists will examine how sport performance can be integrated into higher education through majors, minors, and credit-bearing experiences. The session will highlight how athletics fosters intellectual growth, career readiness, and civic engagement to reinforce the public purpose of higher education. Panelists from diverse institutions will share models, offering practical insights into how colleges can bridge the academic-athletic divide. Attendees will engage in dialogue around the educational value of sport and consider how their institutions might support this evolving field. This session invites participants to reimagine movement—both physical and institutional—as a catalyst for innovation in liberal education.