Over the past fifty years, thanks to increasing revenues in big-time college football—the most insular of sports—college Olympic sports have grown to become the best sports development programs in the world, and for athletes from all around the world. In a setup that exists nowhere else, Team USA relies on colleges to develop talent, and the international make-up of college sports serves Americans’ elite performance goals too. As college sports business and policy continue to evolve, sports leaders across the ecosystem as well as higher education leaders should work to preserve the global nature of college Olympic sports.
Victoria Jackson, PhD is a clinical associate professor of history at Arizona State University. A sports historian, public scholar, NCAA champion, and retired professional athlete, Jackson writes for news media, appears in documentary films and TV news shows like 60 Minutes, and contributes to policy work, producing white papers and testifying on Capitol Hill. She co-directs ASU’s Great Game Lab, which explores how sports connect US to the world.
Part of our winter 2026 lecture series, "Sport and Society."