Worcester University Honors Larry Lucchino With New Sports Institute

WORCESTER, MA — A local university is establishing an institute that will use sports to examine leadership, business, culture and civic life.

The Larry Lucchino Institute for the Study of Sports at Assumption University, funded by the Lucchino Family Foundation, will offer academic, co-curricular and experiential programs beginning in fall 2027, the school announced Tuesday. The institute honors the late baseball executive who helped bring the Boston Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate to Worcester.

Planned offerings include an introductory seminar examining sports through literature, history, ethics and culture, along with mentorships, internships and talks by industry professionals. The institute will complement Assumption's sport management minor and a sports marketing major now in development.

The university will also establish the Lucchino Scholars program. Students with an interest in sports and a commitment to Lucchino's values may receive renewable scholarships of $4,000 annually for up to four years. Recruitment for the first group will begin for fall 2027.

Charles Steinberg, president of the Worcester Red Sox, will serve as founding director. Steinberg worked with Lucchino for 45 years and held senior roles with the Baltimore Orioles, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Lucchino led the Orioles, Padres and Red Sox during his Major League Baseball career. His ballpark projects included Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Petco Park, improvements to Fenway Park and Worcester's Polar Park. Assumption was among the WooSox's 21 founding partners.

“Larry believed sports were about much more than what happened on the field,” David Lucchino, a Lucchino Family Foundation trustee, said in the announcement. “They were a powerful vehicle for leadership, innovation, education and bringing communities together.”

An advisory board featuring leaders from sports, media, business and civic life will support the institute. Members include Mike Barnicle, Joshua Kraft, Dan Shaughnessy, Janet Marie Smith, Lesley Visser and George F. Will.

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