Seventeenth International Conference on Sport & Society

  • Innovation, Transformation, Contestation: Can Sport Keep Up with Society’s Future?
  • 11-12 June 2026
  • Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer Campus, Norway + Online

Conference Themes and Special Focus

Founded in 2010, the Sport & Society Research Network is brought together around a common interest in cultural, political, and economic relationships of sport to society. We seek to build an epistemic community where we can make linkages across disciplinary, geographic, and cultural boundaries.

The Seventeenth International Conference on Sport & Society calls for research addressing the following annual themes and special focus.

  • 2026 Special Focus—Innovation, Transformation, Contestation: Can Sport Keep Up with Society’s Future?
  • Theme 1: Sporting Cultures and Identities
  • Theme 2: Sport and Health
  • Theme 3: Sports Education
  • Theme 4: Sports Management and Commercialization

Plenary Panel: Elite Sport and the Politics of Belonging

The Seventeenth International Conference on Sport & Society will feature plenary sessions by some of the world’s leading thinkers and innovators in the field.

Dr. Jörg Krieger

Dr. Jörg Krieger

Associate Professor, Aarhus University, Denmark

Plenary Panel: Innovation, Sustainability, and Future Directions in Olympic and Paralympic Sport

Svein Erik Nordhagen

Svein Erik Nordhagen

Associate Professor, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway

Anne Tjønndal

Anne Tjønndal

Professor, Nord University, Norway

Local Conference Committee

Dr. Jörg Krieger

Dr. Jörg Krieger

Associate Professor, Aarhus University, Denmark & Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway

Dr. Svein Erik Nordhagen

Dr. Svein Erik Nordhagen

Associate Professor, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway

Trine Løvold Syversen

Trine Løvold Syversen

Associate Professor, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway

Research Network Chair

Dr. Jörg Krieger

Dr. Jörg Krieger

Associate Professor, Aarhus University, Denmark

Conference Partners

Media Package

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Conference Hashtag: #ICSS26

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