Southern Miss Sports Security Management Center Forms Board

Jun 3, 2008 4:07 PM

A national advisory board with key relationships in the world of sports and security is the newest partner of the Center for Spectator Sports Security Management at The University of Southern Mississippi.

The Sports Security and Safety Management Advisory Board includes representatives from the National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, United States Tennis Association, National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Indy Racing League, National Hockey League, National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, National Collegiate Athletics Association, Stadium Managers Association, University of Texas at Tyler, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Madden & Patton, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, HOK, Weber Shandwick and Robinson & Cole LLP.

Its purpose is to serve as a national advisory, educational, curriculum and placement resource to the center for research toward spectator security in the United States and abroad.

"In our industry, if something happens at a stadium, no matter where it is, it affects us all," says Linda Pantell, MLB senior manager of facility operations and vice chair of the board. “It is in all of our interests to get people to think about public safety.”

The Center for Spectator Sports Security Management is an interdisciplinary environment where research, education and outreach efforts are aimed at ensuring the safety of collegiate sports venues. Addressing and implementing this security at any level of sports events is a top priority for coordinators across the globe.

"We're very fortunate here at the Southern Miss Center for Spectator Sports Security Management to have an advisory board of the top experts in the United States. It's extraordinary," says Dr. Lou Marciani, the center’s director.

Advisory board objectives include assisting in the development of strategies to improve instructional and research functions; to provide career counseling and placement for undergraduates and graduate majors in sport security; to provide expertise for campus lectures, classroom presentations, student mentoring and faculty consultations; and to act as an advising resource for the center's director, staff, student and faculty in acquiring resources for the center's continued development. Center officials soon will form a sustainability committee to serve alongside the board.

"The need for the center is to upgrade the personnel that we have working sporting events, which by nature are large and attractive terrorists targets," says Dennis Cunningham, NHL senior vice president of security. "The higher the quality of personnel staff, the better we all are."

NACDA is the center's partner for curriculum development to train member institutions nationally on sports event security management.

“The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) is enthusiastically looking forward to working with our security counterparts on the Sports Security and Safety Management Advisory Board, including the major professional sports organizations, MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and the USTA,” says Mike Cleary, NACDA executive director. “Our partnership with the Department of Homeland Security and The University of Southern Mississippi gives us the opportunity to make sure our venues are as safe as they can be for our greatest assets, student-athletes and fans.”

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