Ohio State legend, Olympic gold medalist and Basketball Hall of Famer Katie Smith will headline an afternoon celebrating women in sports, leadership and impact at The Ohio State University Sports and Society Institute’s Women in Sports Business event and 2026 SSI Awards.
RSVP TODAY: https://go.osu.edu/katiesmithawards
The event will also help launch SSI’s programming leading into the 2027 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Columbus, highlighting the growing impact of women’s sports and creating opportunities for students and the community to engage with the leaders shaping its future.
Smith will take part in a panel conversation exploring leadership, career pathways, opportunities and challenges across the rapidly evolving sports industry. The discussion will bring together women and industry leaders to share their experiences building careers in sports, navigating change and creating opportunities for the next generation.
The event will feature a Women in Sports Business panel conversation exploring leadership, career pathways, opportunities and challenges across the rapidly evolving sports industry. Panelists will share their experiences building careers in sports, navigating change and creating opportunities for the next generation.
The afternoon will also include the presentation of the 2026 Sports and Society Institute Awards, recognizing individuals whose leadership, research, partnership, service and professional contributions have strengthened the connection between sports and society.
2026 SSI Award Honorees
Katie Smith Impact Award
Katie Smith
One of the most accomplished figures in women’s basketball, Smith will be recognized for her extraordinary impact on sports and her continued leadership on and off the court. The Ohio State legend, Olympic gold medalist, WNBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer has helped advance women’s basketball while serving as a model for generations of athletes and sports professionals.
Dru Hancock Career Champion of the Year
Dru Hancock
SSI will also honor Dru Hancock for her longstanding commitment to developing students, supporting women in sports and creating pathways into the sports industry. Her leadership, mentorship and dedication to helping others build meaningful careers have made a lasting impact on the Ohio State and sports communities.
SSI Distinguished Alumni Award
Vince Doria
Doria is a distinguished sports journalist and former senior vice president and director of news at ESPN, where he spent 23 years helping lead the network’s newsgathering and journalism operations. Before joining ESPN, Doria worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Globe and The National Sports Daily.
SSI Leadership Development Award
Gary Petit
Petit is associate athletic director for communications at Ohio State, where he leads the athletics communications unit and oversees communications strategy for the department’s non-football sports. He serves as the primary communications contact for Ohio State men’s basketball, and men’s and women’s golf.
Sports & Society Research Award
Chris Knoester
Dr. Knoester, a faculty member in sociology, is SSI’s research chair and the principal investigator of the National Sports and Society Survey. His scholarship, collaboration and leadership have helped establish SSI’s research identity while creating opportunities for faculty and student researchers.
SSI Sports Partnership Award
Brian Turner
Dr. Turner is a professor and coordinator of the graduate Sport Management in the College of Education and Human Ecology at The Ohio State University. He has a sustained record of teaching, advising and mentoring undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students in sport management. He has helped prepare generations of educators and sports-industry leaders and remains an SSI faculty affiliate.
The event is presented by The Ohio State University Sports and Society Institute in collaboration with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and community partners committed to supporting women and expanding opportunity throughout the sports industry.
