The late South African leader Nelson Mandela famously said that sport "has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair." These sentiments are echoed by leaders of the Olympic Games and the hosts of other global events that, we are told, can fuel economic development, transcend social divisions, and ameliorate violence. Yet, sport also relies on economic and political structures that can stress the environment, exploit workers, and provoke violent political divisions. Thus, the use of sport to obscure political corruption or ethical failures ("sportswashing") is of growing concern. The 2024 McGarr Symposium on Sports and Society addressed all of these issues, and more, on February 22. Panelists for this year’s symposium included Dr. Jules Boykoff (Pacific University), Amira Rose Davis (UT-Austin), Dr. Tommy Hunt (UT-Austin), Dr. Lindsay Krasnoff (Global Sports Diplomacy Consultant), and Dr. Neftalie Williams (San Diego State University), and was moderated by Center Director Dr. Michael Butterworth.

Sports communication students from the University of Alabama and the University of Texas at Austin will continue their collaboration around the Alabama/Texas football game in September 2023. Last fall, four students from Tuscaloosa traveled with Alabama Program in Sports Communication faculty to Austin to collaborate with Texas students on writing and video projects to document the activity surrounding the early season game between the two legendary football programs. This activity was supported by the College Football Writer's Association. For 2023, CSCM director Michael Butterworth and Associate Director Kevin Robbins will travel with four UT students to Alabama as APSC will facilitate the student exchange for documentation and content production related to the game in Tuscaloosa.