Women’s Sports! With Author Jane McManus & Princeton Women’s Basketball Coach Carla Berube
Thursday, May 15, 6 p.m. Hosted in a Private Princeton Home.
Join us for a discussion with renowned sports journalist Jane McManus, whose new book “The Fast Track: Inside the Surging Business of Women’s Sports” explores the explosive growth of women’s athletics, the shifting economics of the industry and the challenges and opportunities shaping its future. Princeton women’s basketball coach Carla Berube will provide perspective from the bench, and Stephanie Sandberg, former publisher of Columbia Journalism Review and The New Republic and co-chair of the Friends and Foundation Events Committee, will conduct the interview. The evening will include a buffet dinner.
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Thank you to the F&F Events Committee
- Jane Fransson, Co-Chair
- Stephanie Sandberg, Co-Chair
- Mary Brophy
- Jess Deutsch
- Christie Henry
- Courtney Lederer
- Jill Morrison
- Stefanie Rossitto
About the Book
“No one cares about women’s sports” is a familiar refrain from vocal skeptics, but as The Fast Track shows, a series of watershed moments reflect the increasing popularity of and support for women’s sports from both investors and fans.
Veteran sports journalist and academic Jane McManus examines both this upward trend and the forces that have held women’s sports back since the early 1970s when Title IX became law (and Billie Jean King soundly defeated Bobby Riggs). As the fervor for Caitlin Clark during the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball championship illustrates, there is big money to be made from broadcasting, merchandising, and investing in women’s sports.
The Fast Track chronicles how pioneering sponsorships, broadcast opportunities, and surges in ratings contradict the myths about disinterest. Interviews counter the resistance toward women’s leagues, reveal how women are covered in the media, and consider the possibilities for further investment. McManus also addresses racial inclusivity, transgender athletes, women’s health issues, and equal pay.
About Jane McManus
Jane McManus is a distinguished sports journalist, editor, and academic with over two decades of experience covering major sporting events and shaping discourse in the world of sports. She is currently an adjunct professor at NYU’s Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport and editor of The Year’s Best Sports Writing 2024.
During her tenure at ESPN, McManus covered the NFL and wrote for espnW, while also appearing as an analyst on SportsCenter, Outside the Lines, and other flagship programs. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, and numerous other leading outlets.
In addition to her journalism career, McManus has held academic leadership roles as Director of the Center for Sports Communication at Marist College and Executive Director of the Center for Sports Media at Seton Hall University. A prominent advocate for women’s sports, she is the author of The Fast Track: Inside the Surging Business of Women’s Sports.
About Carla Berube
Carla Berube was named the head coach of women’s basketball at Princeton University in May 2019 after spending 17 years at Tufts University. During her six years and five seasons at Princeton, Berube has amassed a 121-25 record, with four Ivy League titles and three Ivy League Tournament championships. She has coached three Ivy League Players of the Year, three All Americans and two first-round WNBA draft picks. Berube picked up her 500th career victory this season in a win against the Penn Quakers.
Berube was the 2015 Pat Summitt Trophy winner as the Division III National Coach of the Year and a three-time regional coach of the year at Tufts. She has also coached internationally with USA Basketball, leading the Under-16 national team to a gold medal at the FIBA Americas and the Under-17 national team to a gold medal at the World Championships. The highlight of her playing career was winning the 1995 NCAA championship, capping a perfect 35-0 season for the University of Connecticut.
Contact Us
friendsandfoundation@princetonlibrary.org
609-924-9529 ext. 1280