PASADENA, Calif. -- Olympic champions, Super Bowl heroes, coaches and executives filled the room at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena. Yet despite the star power gathered under one roof, the conversation repeatedly returned to something much bigger than wins and losses.
Sportsmanship.
From June 8-9, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation hosted the 2026 Sportsmanship Summit, a global gathering dedicated to redefining, celebrating and elevating sportsmanship across generations, sports and societies. While accomplished athletes and influential leaders headlined the event, the two-day summit focused less on achievement and more on the values that make sports meaningful.
Throughout the summit, speakers shared perspectives on leadership, teamwork and the responsibility athletes, coaches and organizations have to one another and their communities. Their stories highlighted how lessons learned through competition can extend far beyond the playing field.
“Life is a team sport,” said Allyson Felix, the most decorated U.S. track and field Olympian in history and a leading advocate for women, mothers and athlete equity.
Felix’s message set the tone for an event centered on community and the understanding that success is rarely achieved alone. Whether discussing Olympic competition, youth athletics or business leadership, speakers emphasized the importance of collaboration, support and shared purpose.
Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith, who earned Super Bowl XLVIII MVP honors, spoke about sports’ unique ability to unite people from different backgrounds.
“Sports are the great unifier,” Smith said.
That sentiment echoed throughout the summit as participants from around the world discussed how competition can transcend cultural, political and social divides. While sports often produce winners and losers, many speakers argued that their greatest value lies in creating connections and fostering mutual understanding.
“Sports in so many ways is an international language,” said BYU President C. Shane Reese.
The summit brought together voices from collegiate athletics, professional sports, the Olympic movement and the business community. Despite their diverse experiences, participants repeatedly returned to a common theme: respect.
Respect for teammates. Respect for opponents. Respect for the game itself.
FOX Sports President of Insights and Analytics Michael Mulvihill captured that idea in a message that resonated throughout the event.
“Our roles are different, but our status is the same,” Mulvihill said.
In a room filled with championship rings, Olympic medals and decades of accomplishments, it would have been easy to focus on trophies and titles. Instead, the spotlight remained on character, integrity and the values that endure long after the final score is forgotten.
The summit served as a reminder that sportsmanship is not simply about shaking hands after a game. It is about treating others with dignity, embracing accountability and recognizing the humanity that exists on both sides of competition.
For two days at the Rose Bowl, those principles took center stage. In an era often defined by division and disagreement, the summit offered a powerful message: while victories eventually fade into history, the lessons sports teach—humility, respect, empathy and teamwork—can leave a lasting impact.
At the Rose Bowl, sportsmanship was celebrated not as an afterthought, but as one of the most important victories of all.