The future of sports is changing rapidly, and panelists at the next Perspectives event hope to slow things down and take a closer look at what is causing the seismic shifts.

The second installment of the series, sponsored by the University of Toledo and The Blade, will draw on the diverse athletic experiences of four panelists to discuss “The Cultural and Economic Impact of Sports” on Feb. 3 at UT’s Doermann Theatre.

One of the panelists is Kansas City Chiefs hall-of-famer Nick Lowery, who began focusing on efforts to end bullying and homelessness after an 18-year career as a placekicker. Mr. Lowery said he hopes to explore how some of the changes, like the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness rules, have shifted what it means to be an athlete.

“NILs are further accelerating the professionalization of, frankly, high school sports, but also, in particular, college sports,” Mr. Lowery said. “What has continued to happen ... is that the idea that you innocently would learn values like persistence, character, overcoming defeat, recovering from failure, hard work, teamwork — all those things taught by sports — is taking a back seat to money.”

The monetary interests that have crept into sports are fundamentally changing how institutions approach their athletic programs, panelist Steve Stoute said, and sometimes for the worse. As the president of Canisius University in Buffalo and a former student-athlete, Mr. Stoute hopes attendees will think critically about the changes they’re seeing in sports.

“We are at risk of losing sight of the very core purpose of intercollegiate athletics, at least at the Division I level,” Mr. Stoute said. “The things people read about and want to talk about, in terms of NIL and the transfer portal and all of those things, that’s not about athletics as I believe it to be.”

Peter Roby, another panelist, has held a variety of positions through his career, including a coach, sports marketing executive, athletic director, and senior consultant to the NCAA. He said the future of collegiate athletics weighs heavily on “hard choices” that colleges and universities are facing, which could stray from the purpose of the higher education.

“We’ve lost our way, in my view, about what this whole thing is supposed to be about, and these conversations that we’re getting ready to have need to be had in the board rooms of all colleges and universities, with the trustees and the presidents and the administrators,” Mr. Roby said.

Mr. Stoute experienced the impact of athletics in his own life and has tried to make those same opportunities available to students. He hopes to bring his perspective as the leader of a university, but also someone who experienced the impact of athletics as a student.

“I know I wouldn’t be here sitting as the president of Canisius University if I had not been a student-athlete. My experience at Seton Hall was very formative; it shapes how I look at the world, whether it be athletics, or more broadly, the role of athletics within higher education.”

The discussion will be moderated by David Shribman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning, nationally syndicated columnist and executive editor emeritus of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Bryan Blair, vice president for intercollegiate athletics and director of athletics at the University of Toledo, will deliver opening remarks ahead of the panel discussion.

Mr. Blair said discussions about the future of sports are important to have because of the “transformational impact” they have locally, for students and for the wider community.

“It really is about more than just sports. I think that’s something that sometimes gets glossed over in today’s narratives around sports,” Mr. Blair said. “What we don’t spend enough time talking about is the degrees these young people are getting and the impact that degree has on their livelihood and their future trajectory.”

Mr. Blair said he is particularly interested in hearing from panelist Andrew Luck, whose experiences at the collegiate and professional level give him a unique view of the evolution of sports. Mr. Luck is now the general manager of Stanford University’s football team, which was a return to his alma mater.

“Having gone through it as a student athlete before NIL ... to playing in the NFL and experiencing that world that is so corporate and business-based, and now bringing those two together back on campus, I’m really excited to hear his perspective,” Mr. Blair said.

First Published January 26, 2025, 1:00 p.m.