DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Athletics to Host 2027 Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium
9/29/2026 11:00:00 AM | ATHLETICS, EXTERNAL OUTREACH
Chicago to welcome the nation's athletics directors and executive leaders to the Marriott Marquis Chicago and Wintrust Arena
CHICAGO – DePaul Athletics has been selected to host the 2027 Collegiate Athletics Leadership Symposium (CALS), the preeminent conference for athletics directors and executive leaders in college athletics. CALS 27 will be held Sept. 26-28, 2027 at the Marriott Marquis Chicago and Wintrust Arena. The announcement follows this week's CALS 26 in Fort Worth, Texas, hosted by TCU, where Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy joined athletics directors from Georgia Tech, Nebraska and Arkansas on the "Dynamic Leadership in Complex Times" panel.
"CALS has had a real impact on my career. The relationships I built there and the lessons I took home shaped how I lead, and I know a lot of athletics directors across the country would say the same," said Peevy. "It is an honor for DePaul and for Chicago to host in 2027. College athletics is changing faster than at any point in my career, and the leaders in this room need each other now more than ever. We are proud to bring them together in our city and show them what DePaul is all about."
Produced by Next Level and directed by Will Reece, CALS is an invitation-only gathering built to equip athletics administrators with practical knowledge they can apply right away and the skills they need to grow into their next role. Each year, the symposium connects rising leaders with sitting athletics directors, search firm executives, and thought leaders from across college athletics under its guiding charge: Equip. Connect. Lead.
DePaul joins a distinguished line of recent CALS hosts. The symposium has been held in Fort Worth, Texas (TCU; 2026), Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State; 2025), Fayetteville, Ark. (Arkansas; 2024) and Charlotte, N.C. (UNCC; 2023). CALS 27 will mark the first time the symposium has been held in Chicago.
"Chicago and DePaul were an easy choice," said CALS Symposium Director Will Reece. "DeWayne and his team have been strong supporters of what we are building, and the combination of a world-class city, a first-class hotel and a connected arena gives our attendees an experience we cannot replicate anywhere else. CALS 27 is going to be special."
Symposium programming will be headquartered at the Marriott Marquis Chicago, connected directly to Wintrust Arena, the home of DePaul men's and women's basketball and the WNBA Chicago Sky. Attendees will experience the full McCormick Square campus, including evening events inside the arena, with the city's lakefront, restaurants and neighborhoods just steps away.
Hosting CALS 27 builds on a stretch of national visibility for DePaul Athletics, including Wintrust Arena's growing profile as a destination for college basketball and major events, and reflects the department's strategic plan to raise the national prominence of the DePaul brand. Chicago's central location and nonstop flights from across the country make it one of the most accessible host cities in the symposium's history.
Additional details on CALS 27, including dates, registration and programming, will be announced by CALS at a later date. For more information on the symposium, visit adsymposium.us.
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ABOUT DEPAUL ATHLETICS
DePaul's 15 intercollegiate athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division I, BIG EAST Conference. DePaul University began sponsoring athletics teams in the early 1900's, with intercollegiate athletics coming to fruition in the 1920's. Legendary coach Ray Meyer helped put DePaul on the map in the 1970's as the men's basketball program helped elevate the university to national prominence. Through a bold new vision for the future, DePaul Athletics looks to become the premier program in the BIG EAST Conference through a focus on winning championships with integrity, building champion students through education and intentional development, and serving as a visible ambassador for DePaul University and the Chicago community. DePaul Athletics has a storied tradition and is uniquely positioned to support the university's mission and commitment to academic excellence, real world experience, community engagement, and systemic change. Further, the department is steadfast in its commitment to grow the university's national exposure and enrollment through athletics. Visit DePaulBlueDemons.com to learn more.
"CALS has had a real impact on my career. The relationships I built there and the lessons I took home shaped how I lead, and I know a lot of athletics directors across the country would say the same," said Peevy. "It is an honor for DePaul and for Chicago to host in 2027. College athletics is changing faster than at any point in my career, and the leaders in this room need each other now more than ever. We are proud to bring them together in our city and show them what DePaul is all about."
Produced by Next Level and directed by Will Reece, CALS is an invitation-only gathering built to equip athletics administrators with practical knowledge they can apply right away and the skills they need to grow into their next role. Each year, the symposium connects rising leaders with sitting athletics directors, search firm executives, and thought leaders from across college athletics under its guiding charge: Equip. Connect. Lead.
DePaul joins a distinguished line of recent CALS hosts. The symposium has been held in Fort Worth, Texas (TCU; 2026), Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State; 2025), Fayetteville, Ark. (Arkansas; 2024) and Charlotte, N.C. (UNCC; 2023). CALS 27 will mark the first time the symposium has been held in Chicago.
"Chicago and DePaul were an easy choice," said CALS Symposium Director Will Reece. "DeWayne and his team have been strong supporters of what we are building, and the combination of a world-class city, a first-class hotel and a connected arena gives our attendees an experience we cannot replicate anywhere else. CALS 27 is going to be special."
Symposium programming will be headquartered at the Marriott Marquis Chicago, connected directly to Wintrust Arena, the home of DePaul men's and women's basketball and the WNBA Chicago Sky. Attendees will experience the full McCormick Square campus, including evening events inside the arena, with the city's lakefront, restaurants and neighborhoods just steps away.
Hosting CALS 27 builds on a stretch of national visibility for DePaul Athletics, including Wintrust Arena's growing profile as a destination for college basketball and major events, and reflects the department's strategic plan to raise the national prominence of the DePaul brand. Chicago's central location and nonstop flights from across the country make it one of the most accessible host cities in the symposium's history.
Additional details on CALS 27, including dates, registration and programming, will be announced by CALS at a later date. For more information on the symposium, visit adsymposium.us.
FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
For all the latest information on DePaul Athletics, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com.For even more Blue Demon content, follow DePaul on X, Instagram and Facebook.
ABOUT DEPAUL ATHLETICS
DePaul's 15 intercollegiate athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division I, BIG EAST Conference. DePaul University began sponsoring athletics teams in the early 1900's, with intercollegiate athletics coming to fruition in the 1920's. Legendary coach Ray Meyer helped put DePaul on the map in the 1970's as the men's basketball program helped elevate the university to national prominence. Through a bold new vision for the future, DePaul Athletics looks to become the premier program in the BIG EAST Conference through a focus on winning championships with integrity, building champion students through education and intentional development, and serving as a visible ambassador for DePaul University and the Chicago community. DePaul Athletics has a storied tradition and is uniquely positioned to support the university's mission and commitment to academic excellence, real world experience, community engagement, and systemic change. Further, the department is steadfast in its commitment to grow the university's national exposure and enrollment through athletics. Visit DePaulBlueDemons.com to learn more.
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