Collegiate Partnerships Department

College sports are critical to Team USA's success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. More than 80% of Olympians and 55% of Paralympians competed collegiately before bringing home medals for our country at the Tokyo Games. And beyond medal implications, colleges and universities provide invaluable resources for current and aspiring Olympians and Paralympians to train, compete and pursue higher education while striving for athletic excellence at a peak development time in their lives.

In collaboration with schools, conferences, the NCAA and NGBs, the USOPC develops and executes strategies to preserve broad-based sport programs on campus. The department is rooted in smoothening the college pathway for Team USA athletes and messaging the value of Olympic and Paralympic sports on campus - two priorities determined by the USOPC Collegiate Advisory Council that were established in 2017. The work also includes a first-of-its-kind partnership agreement with the NCAA to provide a mechanism for both organizations to pioneer initiatives to support Team USA's student-athletes and strengthen the collegiate athletics ecosystem for generations to come.