Time is running out to join us for the 17th Annual National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition in Palm Desert, CA!
The NCS⁴ is pleased to welcome Brian Dubiski, Co-Founder/Treasurer of the Pink Bows Foundation, as the keynote speaker for the opening general session. His presentation, Turning Tragedy into Action: Redefining Crowd Safety After Astroworld, will reflect on the foundation’s mission to improve event safety following the loss of Madison Dubiski, one of 10 individuals who died at the 2021 Astroworld concert. The Pink Bows Foundation was established in March 2025 in her memory. The keynote will be followed by a session on the Risk Landscape of NIL, led by Forrest Dodd, NCS⁴ instructor. Conference programming will include general sessions with panel discussions on topics relevant to today’s ever-changing security landscape, while breakout sessions allow participants to engage with panelists and attendees on key issues. Below are a few sessions scheduled for the conference.
Attendees will work through practical scenarios to vet procedures, uncover gaps, and develop actionable strategies for crowd management, emergency management, emergency response, and communication.
The session will outline practical steps leagues, gambling operators, law enforcement, regulators, and other stakeholders can take, such as a sports integrity information sharing hub, real‑time alerting, and mandatory reporting—to move from isolated fixes to a coordinated response before a catastrophic incident forces change.
The session will explore how technologies and tactics are lowering barriers to surveillance, reconnaissance, targeting, and operational planning.
This session will discuss key considerations related to disruptive and severe weather before, during, and after events.
Attendees will explore emerging technologies and network with peers during the conference. A social reception planned for the event’s first evening allows practitioners, industry partners, and exhibitors to gather and network with friends and colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere.
Top 10 Reasons to Attend the Conference
- Connect with peers at the Exhibit Hall opening
- Celebrate NCS⁴’s 20th Anniversary at the Opening Reception
- Hear from leading industry experts
- Participate in interactive panel discussions
- Attend the Awards Luncheon
- Expand your professional network
- Engage in dynamic breakout sessions
- Explore cutting-edge technologies
- Discover new products and services
- Gain practical solutions to real-world challenges
Bring Your Team and Save $$$ with the group rate
Discounted registration is available for groups of three or more, making it easier than ever to invest in professional development, collaboration, and industry-leading insights together. Ensure your entire team is aligned on the latest safety strategies, security technologies, risk mitigation practices, and leadership insights shaping our industry. Register your group today and take advantage of the special rate of $675 per person. Exclusions apply.
See complete details and exclusions on the website.
- Member Rate: $775 per person
- Non-Member Rate: $825 per person
- Group Rate: $675 per person (Three or more people from the same organization. Not stackable.)
- Private Sector Attendee: $950 per person (Individuals representing companies that provide products or services to the industry and are not sponsoring or exhibiting.)
Award Announcements
Lifetime achievement Award
Sponsored by MERIDIAN
Congratulations, Richard Fenton, CSSP, Chief Security Officer, Ilitch Holdings, on being named the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient.
Milton E. Ahlerich Distinguished Leadership Award
Congratulations, Cathy Lanier, Senior Vice President, Chief of Security, National Football League (NFL), on being named the 2026 Milton E. Ahlerich Distinguished Leadership Award Recipient.
Champion of Change aWARD
Congratulations, Joe Monroe, CSSP, Chief of Police, University of Kentucky, on being named the 2026 Champion of Change Award Recipient.
Thank you to our SOLUTION PARTNERS!
Their participation helps make this event possible.
Center for Internet Security (CIS) Whitepapers
An Examination of AI-Enabled Threats to Event and Stadium Security CIS tested a jailbreak strategy against three GenAI platforms to see how threat actors might use them to target large-scale events. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS): Evolving Risks to Large-Scale Public Gatherings Effective counter-UAS security for large-scale events requires an intelligence-driven, layered, and scalable approach.
Designation – Restrict the Operation of Unmanned Aircraft in Close Proximity to a Fixed Site Facility
A Proposed Rule by the Federal Aviation Administration Section 2209 of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 (FESSA 2209) directed the FAA to establish a process by which certain critical infrastructure owners and operators may petition the FAA to prohibit or restrict, including temporarily, the operation of an unmanned aircraft in close proximity to a fixed site facility. The NPRM contains the proposed rules to request and maintain these unmanned aircraft flight restrictions. Any member of the public, including the critical infrastructure community, can provide written comments on the NPRM during the 60-day public comment period. Detailed information about the NPRM and instructions for submission of public comments will be available at Federal Register: Public Inspection: Designation: Restrict the Operation of Unmanned Aircraft in Close Proximity to a Fixed Site Facility
The NCS⁴ Releases New Promotional Video
Since 2006, the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS⁴) at The University of Southern Mississippi has been a leader in providing training and critical resources to the sport and special event community. With the resounding growth of NCS⁴ programs nationally and internationally over the past 20 years, we’d like to thank our partners, members, national advisory board, and advisory committees for their avid support.
NCS⁴ eLearning Options
The NCS⁴ eLearning platform, NCS⁴ LEARN, provides opportunities for individuals and organizations to access asynchronous professional development opportunities. Current offerings include the following:
- Frontline Staff Foundational Skills
- Crowd Manager Fundamentals
- Venue Staff Training: Security Awareness
- Senior Leader Course: Sports and Entertainment Security
Please visit the website or contact us at NCS4Learn@usm.edu if you have any questions or would like to inquire about bulk registration.
Click one of the links above or the button below for details on registering.
Routledge Handbook of Sport Security
Dr. Stacey Hall, NCS⁴ Executive Director, serves as the editor of the first-ever published Handbook of Sport Security (available in hardback and eBook format). The book provides an in-depth analysis of security issues and concerns in contemporary sport. Featuring the work of 60 leading researchers and practitioners from around the world, it offers practical, evidence-based commentary and guidance covering over 40 chapters. The book examines the multiple stakeholders, agencies, and organizations involved in providing a safe space for spectators, participants, staff, organizations, communities, and sponsors. It considers the coordination of private and public entities in the sports security ecosystem, including facility management, event management, law enforcement, emergency management, emergency medical services, and state/federal government partners, as well as the private sector organizations providing support services. The book also offers a comprehensive analysis of key issues and debates in contemporary sport security, including terrorism, cybersecurity, spectator violence, planning and assessment guidance for sport venues and events of all sizes, management and policy considerations for leaders and decision-makers, and the lessons learned from critical incidents. It introduces the core principles of research methods in sport security and looks ahead at future developments in this rapidly changing field. This is essential reading for any advanced student, researcher, practitioner, or policymaker with an interest in sport studies, security studies, event studies, criminal justice, management, or public policy.
Fundamentals of Crowd Safety Course
NCS⁴ and GKStill International have partnered to jointly offer the Fundamentals of Crowd Safety online eLearning course to address capability gaps in crowd behavior and sciences. Professor Dr. G. Keith Still, Visiting Professor of Crowd Science at the University of Suffolk, developed this certified, accredited course. The course offers an 8-hour online interactive experience designed to teach the essential elements of crowd safety and crowd risk analysis. The course is especially valuable to event organizers, as it ensures that those who complete it are compliant with the NFPA 101 - Life Safety Code — specifically, the areas of section 12 of the code that require a venue to provide a crowd manager trained in crowd management techniques for occupancies exceeding 1,000.
London sports clubs modify security measures after UK terrorism threat level raised
Professional sports clubs across London have modified their security measures after the national terrorism threat level was raised to severe. Multiple Premier League clubs in the capital contacted by The Athletic confirmed their security arrangements were being altered accordingly following the increase in threat level, which was raised after two members of the Jewish community were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, on Wednesday. Read More.
'Operation Red Card' - local and federal law enforcement reveal their FIFA World Cup security push
DALLAS — Federal and local law enforcement agencies across North Texas say a sweeping crime crackdown tied to upcoming international soccer matches has already led to more than 170 federal charges, along with significant drug and weapons seizures. Dubbed "Operation Red Card," the initiative borrows its name from soccer's most severe penalty — removal from play — and reflects what officials say is a coordinated effort to deter crime ahead of the FIFA World Cup matches scheduled in North Texas. Read More.
Lawmakers say World Cup security in Pa., other states hampered by DHS shutdown
Some lawmakers say that the Department of Homeland Security shutdown is hindering coordination and safety preparations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup games across the country. The department has operated without full funding from Congress for more than 100 days over the past year, interrupting agencies’ coordination with city and state officials, delaying trainings and leading to an exodus of DHS staff ahead of the tournament. Read More.
How difficult is it to secure a large event like the NFL draft? A security expert weighs in.
As Pittsburgh prepares to host hundreds of thousands of people next week, a security expert has weighed in on how difficult it might be to secure a large event like the upcoming NFL draft. Plans have been designed to keep the NFL draft safe from the unexpected, which is a tall order with no room for error. Read More.