NEW YORK (January 4, 2023) – The BIG EAST Conference has partnered with The Inclusion Playbook, a sports justice consulting group led by civil rights advocate and sports equity advisor Ashland Johnson.
 
In their new role with the BIG EAST, The Inclusion Playbook will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the league’s current DE&I efforts and develop new benchmarks to advance this work.  The process will include an assessment of stakeholder sentiments and experiences, a conference-wide mission review process, and support to the Conference Office and member schools on their upcoming mandated NCAA DE&I reviews.
 
The engagement of The Inclusion Playbook represents the next phase of the BIG EAST’s efforts to educate, engage and lead in matters relating to racial and gender equity in the sports industry.  In 2019, the BIG EAST formed a conference-wide BIG EAST DE&I Working Group made up of a broad cross-section of athletics department and university personnel from all eleven member schools.  Since that time, the working group has met regularly to receive updates on developments in the diversity environment in intercollegiate athletics, exchange best practices, and advise the Conference Office on tactics around the three pillars in the BIG EAST’s current DE&I strategic plan:  hiring, education and awareness. 
 
“Ashland’s broad and successful experiences in developing inclusive strategies and programs tailored to the sports world will be invaluable as we look to build on our prior DE&I work and support the efforts of our schools to foster diverse and welcoming environments on their campuses,” said BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman.
 
Johnson, an attorney, equity and inclusion strategist and former NCAA Division I student-athlete, has previously worked with the NCAA, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and NBA to strengthen their DE&I and social responsibility policies and practices. Johnson has more than a decade of experience working with civil rights communities, advising sports leaders, and serving in leadership roles in advocacy organizations.   
 
“We are thrilled to enter this partnership with the Big East to expand the Conference’s DE&I work,” Johnson said. “As one of the most competitive and visible athletic conferences in the country, the Big East can set the bar for DE&I and social responsibility in collegiate sports.”
 
Founded in 2018, The Inclusion Playbook works with a collaborative network of athletes, schools, governing bodies, and social justice advocates to create change through sports. As the relationship between sports and social justice evolves, the organization provides tools to make athletic programs more equitable and inclusive while strengthening community programming and engagement.

The BIG EAST:
The BIG EAST Conference is an association of 11 nationally prominent colleges and universities that foster healthy athletic competition, community service and the pursuit of excellence in academic environments.  The BIG EAST-sponsored athletic programs of our institutions provide national-caliber participation opportunities for more than 3,800 student-athletes on over 200 men’s and women’s teams in 22 sports.  Established in 1979 and headquartered in New York City, the BIG EAST’s members are located in eight of the country’s top 36 largest media markets and include Butler University, University of Connecticut, Creighton University, DePaul University, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Providence College, St. John’s University, Seton Hall University, Villanova University and Xavier University.  For more information, visit www.bigeast.com.
 
Inclusion Playbook:
Founded in 2018, The Inclusion Playbook works with a collaborative network of athletes, schools, governing bodies, and social justice advocates to create change through sports. As the relationship between sports and social justice evolves, the organization provides tools to make athletic programs more equitable and inclusive while strengthening community programming and engagement. For more information, visit www.inclusionplaybook.com