The Sports Communication Interest Group invites faculty and student submissions of original research papers or Research-in-Progress submissions that focus on this subject area. Submissions must contain a clear media dimension such as traditional media (newspapers, TV, radio), digital or social media, or strategic communication (PR, advertising, or sports marketing). Submissions should be theoretically grounded and offer tangible evidence of scholarly rigor. We welcome qualitative and quantitative research methods; we encourage a broad spectrum of approaches, including sociological, historical, critical, pedagogical, and cultural research. AEJMC encourages submissions to be mindful of diversity, equity, and inclusion, to ensure diverse identities, voices, perspectives, and experiences are considered, acknowledged, or included.
Submissions must not be under consideration or previously accepted elsewhere for presentation or publication. Any paper found to be under consideration or previously accepted elsewhere will be removed from consideration or the program, as appropriate. Only one paper per lead author will be accepted for review in this interest group. While author(s) are not required to join the group to submit a paper for consideration, only Sports Communication Interest Group members are eligible to present at the conference. Author(s) may join the group after acceptance decisions are made. Student membership to the Sports Communication Interest Group is free.
Please see the AEJMC Uniform Call for Papers for applicable submission requirements and instructions to upload to the AEJMC Submission site and on how to successfully remove identifying information. We strongly recommend submitting early so you have time to check your uploaded document to ensure no identifying information is included and that the manuscript is both uploaded and accessible. Papers should be no longer than 25 pages, double-spaced (not including tables, figures and references), using a standard 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Papers that do not meet the AEJMC Uniform Call for Papers requirements will not be accepted.
Submissions should contain no identifying information, such as name, university affiliation, or job title. Please be certain that any identification that may occur via electronic means is fully removed, as the presence of any identifying information, whether intended or unintended, will result in removal from consideration.
By submitting, first authors are also agreeing to review papers in the competition.
Faculty and student submissions will be entered into separate competitions (note the separate links on the submission site) for presentation and for the top paper awards. They will undergo separate anonymous review processes by faculty-only judges. Students who co-author with faculty will be inserted into the faculty pool, regardless of lead author status. Student authors — undergraduate and graduate students enrolled during the 2025-2026 school year — should include a cover sheet that clearly states the paper is a student-authored submission. Only full papers are eligible for award consideration.
The AEJMC Sports Communication Interest Group invites submissions for a new Research-in-Progress submission category at the 2026 Conference. This format provides scholars with an opportunity to present and receive feedback on projects that are underway but not yet complete at the time of presentation. It is ideal for emerging research ideas, pilot studies, data collection efforts, or early analyses that show strong potential for scholarly contribution. Please follow the all the submission protocols from the AEJMC Uniform Paper Calls.
For questions contact the Sports Communication Interest Group Chair, Shannon Scovel at shannonscovel2@gmail.com. |