The NCS⁴ to Host 2026 National Professional Sports and Entertainment Safety and Security Forum
The NCS⁴ will host the 2026 National Professional Sports and Entertainment Safety and Security Forum on February 23-24, at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
This event brings together industry leaders to address evolving safety and security challenges and to share best practices for continuous improvement.
Discussion topics are now available! The full agenda will be released soon—don’t miss your chance to join the conversation.
Why Attend?
- Learn from Experts: Gain insights from professional sports and entertainment safety leaders.
- Engage on Key Topics: Participate in moderated discussions on staff training, fan behavior, communications, perimeter security, severe weather planning, and command center operations.
- Share Best Practices: Exchange ideas with peers dedicated to creating safe environments for fans, athletes, and performers.
Who Should Attend?
- Safety, security, operations, event, and facility managers
- Law enforcement (local and state)
- Emergency managers, fire, HAZMAT, EMS
- Guest services and government officials
Note: Private sector companies may only attend as Solution Partners.
What People are saying about the forum
Space is limited! Register by February 2, 2026, or until sold out.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Their participation helps make this event possible.
Interested in sponsoring this event? Click on the button below for more information!
Routledge Handbook of Sport Security
Dr. Stacey Hall, NCS⁴ 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.
The NCS⁴ Publishes Industry Research Report on Spectator Perceptions of Safety and Security Practices and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Sport Security
This study aims to gauge U.S. sport spectators’ perceptions of safety and security practices at sporting events they have attended, including their awareness of security measures, safety and security concerns while planning to attend an event, and willingness to embrace technological solutions to mitigate threats. Participants included individuals 18 years or older (n=728) who had attended a live professional or collegiate sporting event within the last year. Click the link below to view the report.
GAMEDAY SECURITY Must Read: Message Received
As more people participate in legalized sports betting - and the stakes get higher - online harassment of athletes is escalating. Head to page 16 of the GAMEDAY SECURITY Magazine to see what you can do.
Swatting Awareness Video: Indicators for Public Safety Telecommunicators
The DHS Office for State and Local Law Enforcement (OSLLE) is excited to announce the release of Swatting: Indicators for Public Safety Telecommunicators. This video was produced and published in partnership with the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Federal Protective Service (FPS), International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (IALEIA), Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), and many other of our state and local law enforcement partners. It is the third in the Swatting Awareness Video for Law Enforcement series.
Intended for public safety telecommunicators and their supervisors, this video provides swatting indicators, de-escalation strategies, and helpful practices to public safety telecommunicators who may receive swatting calls directly to 911 or calls routed through non-emergency lines. Click the buttons below to view the series.
The NCS⁴ Hosts AWR-167 Course in Pittsburgh, PA
The NCS⁴ hosted an AWR-167: Sport and Special Event Risk Management and Planning course in Pittsburgh, PA, last week at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft.
This course represents a cooperative effort between The University of Southern Mississippi’s National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (USM/NCS⁴) and the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s National Emergency Response and Recovery Training Center (TEEX/NERRTC), a member of the Texas A&M University System.
For more information on the NCS⁴ courses, such as MGT-467, please click the button below.
NCS⁴ Staff News
Nishit Thapa and team receive awards for short film, Sonder
Sonder, a short film created by the University of Southern Mississippi students, including NCS⁴’s web developer Nishit Thapa, earned recognition at the Independent Shorts Awards in Los Angeles. Submitted in March, the film received monthly accolades including the Gold Award for Best Original Score, as well as Bronze Awards for Best Romantic Short and Best Student Male Director. These honors qualified the project for the festival’s prestigious Annual Awards Event, held on September 6, which four members of the team — Shrijal Thapa (Writer/Director/Producer/Actor), MaKenna Berka (Actor), Nishit Thapa (Director of Photography), and Nason Parkman (Sound Designer) — attended in Los Angeles.
The ceremony brought together filmmakers and industry professionals from around the world, offering the Sonder team the chance to see their work celebrated on an international stage. Surrounded by Hollywood figures like Tate Donovan, Michael Pare, and Madison Wolfe, the students described the experience as surreal and inspiring. Representing Southern Miss in such a competitive environment affirmed the impact of their work and fueled their motivation to continue creating and pursuing future opportunities.
Congratulations to Nishit and team!
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.
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.
Critics Voice Concern About Security Plans for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
The 2028 Olympics will bring people from around to the world to Southern California, but the security plans for the games are concerning to some Los Angeles residents. Read More.
Board considers additional security measures at Nashville sports venues
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - More safety measures could soon be coming to sports venues throughout Nashville.
Plans were revealed during the Metro’s Sports Authority meeting in late August. Read More.
Wake County parents weigh in on new security measures during sports events
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Friday Night Lights, a tradition, the folklore born in the Permian Basin but carried out nationwide, especially in North Carolina.
"It's tradition, it's great." Read More.
Spain to deploy 'extraordinary' security for Vuelta finale
An "extraordinary" security boost will accompany the final two stages of the Vuelta in the Madrid region, Spanish authorities said on Wednesday, as pro-Palestinian protests have rocked one of cycling's biggest races. Read More.