Historic Sporting Events

The economic impact of the Olympics

Rising fourth-year Silas Ruth, an economics major, examines sports mega-events like Paris 2024 through an economic lens.

Kristen de Groot

Baseball history, American history

Sarah Gronningsater’s popular course links the two in a study of the sport from the Civil War to Jackie Robinson to the current day.

Kristen de Groot



In the News


The New York Times

For Nia Akins, U.S. 800-meter Olympian, music was the path to confidence in track

Recent Penn grad and 2024 Paris Olympian Nia Akins is profiled for drawing connections between musical performance and running track and field.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn grad Nia Akins is about to release her first album. But first: Compete in the 800 meters at the Olympics

Penn graduate Nia Akins is running the 800 meters at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, with remarks from Penn coach Steve Dolan.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Penn’s Isabella Whittaker and sister Juliette are living out a childhood dream of being Olympians

Recent Penn graduate Isabella Whitaker and her sister Juliette are running for the U.S. track and field team in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

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Runner’s World

They shared a bedroom growing up. Now, the Whittaker sisters are Olympic Village roommates

Recent Penn grad Isabella Whittaker and her sister Juliette are supporting each other as runners at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

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Philadelphia Inquirer

Voices of Penn’s basketball past reflect on the Quakers’ present challenges

The 1979 Final Four team was honored on last month at the Palestra as part of Penn’s annual basketball alumni weekend.

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The Columbus Dispatch

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe are more relatable when they turn backs on Saudi money

Peter T. Struck of the School of Arts & Sciences says that the most highly paid athlete in history was Gaius Appuleius Diocles, a chariot racer in ancient Rome.

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