CMST 5889 - Theory of Sports and Communication
Fall 2026 Syllabus, Section 01, CRN 43896,
Credit hours: 3
Course Meeting Times
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Instructor
Jeffrey Tyus
Email: jltyus@ysu.edu
Course Description
5889. Theory of Sports and Communication. CMST 5889. An overview of sports and communication, their symbiotic relationship and the social, cultural, and political impact of that relationship. Prereq.: Junior Standing. 3 s.h.
Course Readings
| Group | Title | Author | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Required | Links to research articles found in Blackboard |
Each week features scholarly research articles for you to read. The links to those articles are listed in Blackboard.
The course readings are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, research developments, current events, and/or to ensure better learning.
Assignments/Assessments
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Schedule of Topics and Assignments
| Week of | Reading(s) | Proposed Topic | Due/To Prepare for Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/25 | Go over the Syllabus | Start looking for articles for your Discussion Leader assignment | |
| 9/1 | Media, Sports, and Society | History of Sports Communication | |
| 9/8 | Flag on the Play: Colin Kaepernick and the Protest Paradigm Athletes and/or Activists: LeBron James and Black Lives Matter | Framing Theory in Sports | |
| 9/15 | H-Town Takeover: Social Media Agenda Setting and Branding Efforts at the University of Houston | Agenda Setting Theory in Sports | |
| 9/22 | Towards a sociological understanding of football hooliganism as a world phenomenon | The Study of Hooliganism | |
| 9/29 | Types of Fantasy Sports Users and Their Motivations | Uses and Gratification Theory | Due 10/1 at 11:59pm: lms_1782219_1 |
| 10/6 | Sex Identification and the Love of Sports: BIRGing and CORFing Among Sports Fans | BIRGing/CORFing and Social Identity Theory | |
| 10/20 | Performative Sport Fandom: An approach to retheorizing sport fans | Performative Sports Fandom Theory | |
| 10/27 | The role of mediated sports programming on implicit racial stereotypes | Race in Sports | |
| 11/3 | Boys in the Booth: The Impact of Announcer Gender on Audience Demand | Gender in Sports | |
| 11/10 | Gambling Disorder in the College Student-Athlete Population: An Overview | Sports Fans and Sports Gambling | |
| 11/17 | Mascots, Myths, Monuments, and Memory 06 — Contested Symbols in Sports and American Culture (Video shown in class) | Symbolism and Sports | Due 11/19 at 11:59pm: lms_1782220_1 |
| 11/24 | An Examination of Fan-Athlete Interaction: Fandom, Parasocial Interaction, and Identification | Para-social Interactions | |
| 12/1 | “We All Go Through It”: Media Depictions of Mental Illness Disclosures from Star Athletes DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Love | Crisis Communication in Sports Job opportunities in Sports Communication | Due 12/3 at 11:59pm: lms_1782217_1 |
| 12/8 | Final Paper—due Dec. 8 Final Presentation—due Dec. 10, 1-3 PM | Due 12/8 at 11:59pm: lms_1782216_1 |
The course schedule, policies, procedures, and assignments in this course are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances, by mutual agreement, and/or to ensure better learning.