Academic explores the impact of coronavirus on global sport in global roundtable

Loughborough University London’s Professor James Skinner took part in a virtual round table panel discussion looking at the impact of coronavirus on sport across the globe on Friday 3 April 2020.

Hosted by Arizona State University, Professor James Skinner was joined by fellow academics and sporting experts to discuss how COVID-19 has put a collective pause on the world of sport and the potentially far-reaching impact after the virus subsides.

With many major sporting competitions cancelled or postponed, the panel delved into the consequences of moving such events as the Olympics, and how we should brace ourselves for when sports make their eventual return.

The event saw panelists and attendees from around the world discuss the place of sport in society, especially in the current climate. The full panel included:

  • Professor James Skinner, Director of the Institute for Sports Business at Loughborough University London
  • Tracey Holmes, Australian Journalist, and presenter on ABC News Radio
  • Professor Andres Martinez, Arizona State University Professor of Practice & Journalist
  • Professor Stephen Ross, Pennsylvania State University, Professor of Law, Director, Penn State Institute for Sports Law, Policy, and Research
  • Ilhaam Groenewald, Chief Director of Maties Sports at Stellenbosch University, South Africa
  • Natalie Welch, Asst. Professor for Sports Business and Marketing at the University of Tennessee, member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
  • Simon Chadwick, Director of Eurasian Sport at EMLYON Business School

You can hear the full roundtable discussion online.

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2018 THE Student Experience Survey.

Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 8th in The UK Complete University Guide 2020.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

Specialising exclusively in postgraduate-level study, Loughborough University London is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers cutting-edge master’s and PhD degrees, as well as business collaboration, research and enterprise opportunities.

The seven specialist institutes at Loughborough University London include: Design Innovation, Digital Technologies, Diplomacy and International Governance, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, International Management, Media and Creative Industries, and Sport Business. Close industry partnerships with a wealth of leading businesses and creative organisations means teaching and learning is informed by real-life challenges and driven by true industry pressures.