M. Grace Calhoun, the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr. W’69 Director of Athletics and Recreation, has been named to the 2020 class of Game Changers: Women in Sports Business by the Sports Business Journal. Honorees represent every sector across sports business from teams and leagues, to agencies and sponsors, to technology companies and media outlets. Dr. Calhoun will be profiled in Sports Business Journal on October 19 and recognized during a virtual conference October 27.

In 2011, SBJ created Game Changers to “tell the stories of women in the sports business—women with broad, deep, and varied responsibilities and oversight who contribute to the success of the industry in multiple ways.” The 392 women honored in all 10 classes of Game Changers follow in the progressive heritage of their colleagues who have been part of SBJ’s Lifetime Achievement, Champions and Forty Under 40 programs.

In her first year as the chair of the NCAA Division I Council in 2019-2020, Dr. Calhoun guided the organization through one of the most complex and challenging times in its history. While steady progress was made around student-athlete Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) and other top priorities such as transfer issues and financial aid, Dr. Calhoun played her most critical role in leading the Division I membership through the coronavirus pandemic. This included weekly work to accommodate issues arising from the cancellation of winter championships and spring seasons. The work currently continues around the postponement of fall championships, and designing solutions that prioritize student-athlete safety and well-being while providing maximum membership flexibility as the Association endeavors to return to sports participation and competition.

As the chair of the NCAA Division I Council, Dr. Calhoun also serves on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and NCAA Association-wide Board of Governors where she has played an important role representing membership perspectives on the key issues confronting college athletics. She recently completed a two-year term as the chair of the Ivy League Directors of Athletics, where she guided a “21st Century Review” of Ivy League athletics and is the current chair of the Philadelphia Big 5 Athletic Directors. She is also the vice chair of the PHL Sports Advisory Board, which brings together the area sports community to attract major sporting events to Philadelphia.