WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. — The Monmouth University Lecture Series will begin with a conversation with Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist, producer, trial attorney, author and teacher Jack Ford on Wednesday, April 5, 2017. The topic, “The Politics of College Athletics: Is It All About The Money?,” is one that has been at the forefront of the national discussion surrounding collegiate athletics.
The evening will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Rebecca Stafford Student Center’s Anacon Hall, followed by a reception. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged.
A dynamic and engaging speaker, Mr. Ford grew up in a single parent home in New Jersey before attending Yale University, where he was a scholarship student and three-year starter on the varsity football team. He then attended the Fordham University School of Law, where he helped finance his legal education with winnings from three appearances on the television quiz show “Jeopardy,” to courtrooms and classrooms throughout the country, and, ultimately, to the upper echelons of television journalism.
Currently a CBS News correspondent for “60 Minutes Sports” and the co-host of “Metro Focus” on PBS (WNET-New York), he is also the Co-Founder and Chief Anchor of the American Education Network. Mr. Ford began his television news career in 1984 with WCBS-TV in New York. In 1991, he was an original anchor at the launch of Court TV. He also appeared in Fred Friendly’s award-winning PBS Media and Society broadcasts, serving as Moderator for “That Delicate Balance II: The Bill of Rights.”
As a former college athlete and as a lawyer, reporter and educator, Ford brings a unique voice to this conversation.
While Ford asserts that many college sports are at an all-time high in popularity, he thinks money is at the root of the fierce attacks on many of these athletic enterprises.
“How much [money] is made, how much is spent, and who really benefits?,” he asks. “Although these issues are genuine, much of this ferocity is fueled by misperceptions and factual inaccuracies.”
He encourages a lively debate as he helps the audience sort fact from fiction and determine “what role does–and should–money play in the world of college sports?”
Ford resides in Spring Lake, N.J., and is the recipient of five honorary degrees recognizing his professional accomplishments and his extensive public service contributions. He has served as a member of the Monmouth University Board of Trustees, along with many other charitable causes and organizations.
“The Politics of College Athletics: Is It All About The Money?” is co-sponsored by the Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Monmouth Athletics.