On August 30th, Temple University (TU) professors Jeremy Jordan and Daniel Funk hosted NCAA President Mark Emmert on a visit to Japan for lectures and panel discussions concerning Japanese university athletics. The sessions, targeted at individuals affiliated with universities, sports associations, governmental bodies and the industries, were held in conjunction with Temple’s joint research project, which has been conducted collaboratively with University of Tsukuba and DOME Corporation since 2016. The sessions were intended to widely share the expertise of the American example before the Japanese government establishes a “Japanese version of the NCAA,” which it aims to launch in 2018.
The first lecture was held at a hotel in Tokyo exclusively for university presidents. President Emmert spoke to approximately 20 participants from all over the country. He acknowledged that from the beginning, the NCAA has been supported by the leadership of university presidents, spoke on the role of university presidents in promoting university athletics, and exchanged ideas with those in attendance.
For an open-to-the-public lecture, roughly 200 people—individuals affiliated with universities, sports associations, governmental bodies, industry figures and more, including journalists—crowded into the DOME Ariake headquarters. After DOME CEO Shuichi Yasuda raised his concern over safety management and other issues in Japanese university sports to open the session, TU’s Professor Funk delivered an overview of the U.S.-Japan joint research project on university sports. In the following lecture, President Emmert spoke about the current state of the NCAA administration and the circumstances which led to the NCAA’s establishment, dating back to more than 100 years ago. During the panel discussion, TU’s Associate Professor Jordan took the stage as one of the panelists, discussed treating university sports as a “value proposition” from a long term point of view, and pointed out the importance of shared information and perceived opportunities. Jordan, together with President Emmert, Tsukuba Associate Professor Tsuyoshi Matsumoto and DOME CEO Yasuda, had an enthusiastic debate on stage.
On the same day, President Emmert’s delegation paid a courtesy visit to Yoshimasa Hayashi, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, to discuss NCAA initiatives.
Links
- Final Report Session Held on College Sport Joint Research by the University of Tsukuba, Temple University, and Under Armour
- TUJ Hosts Symposium on College Sport Research Project by the U. of Tsukuba, Temple U. and Under Armour
- University of Tsukuba
- DOME Corporation