Penn State’s interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Sports in Society will present a two-day conference focused on intercollegiate athletics from October 17 to 18. ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas and former United States congressman and NBA player Tom McMillian will provide the conference’s opening keynote address and closing remarks, respectively.

Bilas will deliver his keynote address at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 17 at the State Theatre on College Ave. All of the conference’s other activities on October 18, including McMillian’s closing remarks, will take place on campus in the Lewis Katz Building.

The pair joins a stacked conference lineup of sports biz big-wigs including Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour, newly-appointed Lady Lions head coach Carolyn Kieger, and NFL Players Association vice president of business and legal affairs Sean Sansiveri. These speakers will host presentations on topics including women in sports, amateurism (read: college athletes not getting paid), and concussion protocols.

Former Big Ten commissioner and notorious Penn State hater Jim Delany was originally scheduled to appear at the conference when it was first announced last spring. However, according to student planning team president Nathan Bashore, he has withdrawn to better help newly-named conference commissioner Kevin Warren transition into the role. Or perhaps, he was afraid to face the inevitable chorus of boos from the conference’s Penn State audience.

Students can currently register for the conference online for $20 or purchase a ticket for Bilas’ keynote exclusively for $5. University faculty, staff, and the general public can purchase tickets at $50 apiece beginning in September if supplies remain.

You can find more information about registration and a full agenda for the two-day conference here.