Competition Not Conflict
As the number of sports conflict incidents, and the scrutiny circulating around those events, continues to rise, the sports world, and its leaders, has been presented with an increasing need to embrace conflict management theory. Effective conflict management requires innovation, time, and effort – an investment that yields long-term benefits that far outweigh the costs of conflict. The University of Oregon Competition Not Conflict (CNC) program is the preeminent authority on theory and practice for understanding, preventing, and resolving conflict in the competitive sportsarena.
The CNC program, part of the University of Oregon’s School of Law Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center, offers students the opportunity to earn their Sports Conflict Management Certificate, where they integrate educational coursework with practical experience. CNC’s objective is to provide students with a uniquely comprehensive curriculum that offers valuable opportunities for research and practical experience. The CNC program offers a variety of services, both on-field and off, to athletic stakeholders, including, but not limited to: administrators, coaches, athletes, referees, and supporters. Everyday the sports world is inundated with conflicts that arise between athlete and coach, as well as issues between athlete-athlete, athlete-fan, supporter-administration. The goal of the program is to shift the response from reactionary to a more proactive approach through education, in the hopes of reducing destructive conflict in sports and promoting the positive values of competition.
The genesis for the University of Oregon’s CNC program was formulated out of the need to intersect athletics and academics. CNC developed from the foundation of the University of Oregon’s world-class athletics program and a top-ranking law school dispute resolution program. The dynamics and complexity of sports conflict has evolved rapidly in recent years and CNC works to prepare students for the realities of today’s sports world.
What is Competition Not Conflict?
“In college, winning is important but it’s more than that. It’s how you participate…how you conduct yourself and what values you’re representing.”
— Myles Brand, Former President of NCAA
