USOPC and NCAA announce new cooperation agreement that covers Olympic and Paralympic sport

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced the signing of a new cooperation agreement intended to increase collaboration between the organizations when it comes to Olympic and Paralympic sport.

The agreement has three main areas of focus: the management of Olympic sports, the launch of a new effort to foster the growth of Paralympic sport at universities, and the shared promotion of Olympic and Paralympic sports at the collegiate level. The agreement is rooted in the recommendations put forth by the USOPC College Sports Sustainability Think Tank.

USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland stated, “we are grateful to the NCAA and its member institutions for their commitment to Olympic and Paralympic sport programming and willingness to increase collaboration.”

She continued, “our collegiate sports system is an American treasure worth protecting, and we are honored to partner with the NCAA to activate shared sustainability efforts to preserve broad-based sport opportunities on campus through this cooperation agreement.”

NCAA President Mark Emmert also commented on the announcement, stating, “while the collegiate landscape is evolving, NCAA member schools are committed to offering broad-based Olympic sport opportunities at the college level.”

He concluded, “the new constitutional charge and our USOPC agreement terms demonstrate the collective commitment to strengthen the sport pathway for current and future student-athletes.”

The agreement will test championship-related partnerships for Olympic sports, while also attempting to elevate the student-athlete experience. Adaptive student-athletes may also receive a boost under the new cooperation agreement.

The agreement covers efforts to launch the USOPC’s Para-College Inclusion Project. The project would initiate discussions at the college level that could lead to improved sport awareness, increased school alignment, and the strengthening of sport infrastructure for adaptive sport.

The agreement underscores the importance of collegiate athletics to American sport. The USOPC emphasized that collaboration between the two organizations should be explored and tested before reductions to Olympic or Paralympic sport are made or considered at the college level.