The Steiner Sports Communication Research Conference is a new, student-focused academic gathering dedicated to traditional and creative scholarship in sports communication.
For this inaugural year, the conference is free to attend and will feature student projects exclusively, creating a dynamic, supportive space for emerging voices in the field. Whether your research explores media representation, technology’s influence on sport, or the cultural narratives shaping athletics today, this conference is designed to spotlight your work and spark meaningful conversation.
The conference will take place online on 6 November 2026 (12:45-4pm, CST) and will consist of moderated panel sessions about prerecorded presentations. To access the prerecorded presentations, register (free) for the conference.
Beyond the Game | 1:00-1:50pm (CST)
On Sports as a Conduit to Democratic Emancipation, Alex Volonte, University of Florida
Mark Henry’s Retirement: Breaking Genres and John Cena, Kayla Stanley, Bridgewater College, and Steve Ingham, Colgate University
24 Years in the Making: Competing Media Narratives of Türkiye’s 2026 World Cup Qualification, M. Ekim Atay and M. Enes Akdağ, Üsküdar University
Game, Set, Engage, Joëlle Lanz, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Identity, Power, and Sports | 2:00-2:50pm (CST)
Disaligning & Disaffiliating with “Recognized” Interviewers in Hockey Interviews, Sarah M. Adams and Chase Wesley Raymond, University of Colorado Boulder
How Sports Organizational Structures Enable and Constrain Female Athletes’ Mental Health Experiences, Lyzbeth Safoah King, Ohio University
Sex Sells: The Perpetration of The Latin Lover Via Fernando Tatis Jr. and The San Diego Padres, Miriam A. Navarro, University of New Mexico
Mamita Querida! Goal Calls Are Not Equal, Sebastian Perez-Navarro, The University of Texas at El Paso
Technology, Social Media, and Identity | 3:00-3:50pm (CST)
Strava, Wearable Technology, and Athletic Identity, Hannah Ballowe, North Carolina State University
When Fitness Meets AI: Exploring Social Media Portrayals and Athlete Well-Being, Valerie Gruest, New Mexico State University
Paige Bueckers and the LGBTQ+ Online Sports Fandom, Sarah Cochran, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Self-Presentation of Chinese Female Table Tennis Athletes on Social Media, Xueru Li, Griffith University
The presentations have been prerecorded and are linked in the conference program, which is only available to registered attendees. We encourage you to watch the presentations before the conference.
