Political Studies Association (PSA) Sport and Politics Conference
Starts:
Finishes:
Venue:
Birkbeck Main Building, Malet Street
If you are having any problems with the booking system, please contact Sean Hamil on s-hamil@bbk.ac.uk.
The Birkbeck Sport Business Centre is very pleased to host the 2025 edition of the Politics Studies Association (PSA) Sport & Politics Conference. This will be the second time that Birkbeck has hosted the conference, also having hosted the 2nd conference in the series in 2009.
Key dates:
- Abstract deadline: 31 January 2025
- Abstract outcome: 3 March 2025
- Registration deadline: 14 April 2025
- Conference dates: Thursday 15 and Friday 16 May
The theme of the PSA Sport and Politics Group conference this year is the governance and regulation of sport. Over the last two decades, as the commercial dimensions of sport has grown, there has been increased public and political interest in the way that sport is governed and regulated. This has often been due to organisational failings, allegations of corruption, issues concerning athlete welfare, increasing legal intervention into sport and the changing nature of sporting competitions, that have led many to question whether the current structures, actors and systems within the sporting environment are fit for purpose: in essence questioning the governance and regulation of sport. Where there have been failings, these have often led to a growing legitimacy gap between those responsible for the governance of sport and key stakeholders involved in sport.
This gap has attracted the attention of governments, policymakers, investors, and consumers, including sport fans, which in turn has consequences for those in sport organisations and sport governing bodies. For example, the Fan-led review, undertaken by the UK Government into the governance and regulation of professional football in England, has resulted in the creation of an Independent Regulator for Football. At the international level, there has also been significant interest in the way sports are governed, from international federations (IOC, FIFA, FIBA, etc) to foreign sports leagues (NBA, NFL, Saudi Pro League, amongst others). The drive to understand and to improve governance and regulation in sport goes hand in hand with changing societal expectations, which require that sport organisations, leagues and governing bodies proactively adapt the way they govern. This involves taking account of the need to integrate issues that are now firmly expected from sport organisations, such as diversity, equity, inclusion, social responsibility, and sustainability. These positive shifts have placed even greater scrutiny on how sport is governed and regulated.
Contact name:
Sean Hamil