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Sports Communication
Dream of reporting on the biggest games, working with top athletes, or being part of a sports organization?
At the Charley Steiner (‘71) School of Sports Communication, the first named school of its kind in the nation, you’ll get the ultimate playbook for a successful career in the sports industry!
Whether you want to call the action as a play-by-play announcer, produce game-changing sports media, or manage promotions for a major team, this program equips you with the skills to make it happen. You’ll train in your area of interest while mastering research, multimedia storytelling, and industry insights.
Plus, with hands-on experiences and real-world projects, you’ll build an impressive portfolio that helps you break into the competitive world of sports communication.
Experiential Learning
At Bradley, you won’t just study sports communication—you’ll live it. From day one, you’ll be writing for the campus newspaper, working with ESPN and BravesVision, and interning with Peoria’s minor league hockey and baseball teams. These hands-on experiences bring your classroom learning to life as you develop skills in journalism, production, management, marketing, and media relations.
- Intern with major organizations like NBC’s Olympics, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Write and produce content for student media covering Bradley Athletics.
- Attend professional conferences, collaborate with faculty on research, and network with top sports and media executives at the Steiner Symposium on Sports Communication.
Program Details
Core Requirements – 9 hrs.
- COM 101: Survey of Communication (3 hrs.)
- COM 300: Communication Theory (3 hrs.)
- COM 417: Issues and Perspectives in Communication (3 hrs.)
Required Courses – 24 hrs.
- COM 160: Sports, Media, and Society (3 hrs.)
- COM 201: Journalistic Writing (3 hrs.)
- COM 265: Ethical Issues in Sports Communication (3 hrs.)
- COM 360: Digital Journalism (3 hrs.)
- COM 370: Global Perspectives on Sport (3 hrs.)
- COM 380: Gender, Media, and Sport (3 hrs.)
- COM 400: Communications Research (3 hrs.)
- COM 460: Sports Promotion and Publicity (3 hrs.)
Required Electives – 9 hrs.
Students should select 9 hours from this list of electives, with at least 3 hours from the junior/senior level:
- COM 203: Introduction to Electronic Media (3 hrs.)
- COM 215: Basic Reporting (3 hrs.)
- COM 219: Public Relations (3 hrs.)
- COM 220: Advertising as Communication (3 hrs.)
- COM 260: Sports Writing and Announcing (3 hrs.)
- COM 292: Organizational Communication (3 hrs.)
- COM 308: Podcasting and Audio Storytelling (3 hrs.)
- COM 318: Health Communication (3 hrs.)
- COM 326: Digital Analytics (3 hrs.)
- COM 330: Communication Law and Ethics (3 hrs.)
- COM 388: Social Media Communication (3 hrs.)
- COM 447: Issues and Ethics in Advertising (3 hrs.)
- COM 495: Communication Internship (1-3 hrs.)
Total Hours – 42
Career Opportunities
Sports communication majors often pursue careers in sports sales, reporting, promotion and management. Recent Bradley graduates work as on-air reporters, columnists, recruiters and social media coordinators with companies such as the Peoria Chiefs, Chicago Bears, Oakland Athletics, Boston Celtics and ESPN.
- Sports Journalist – Writing articles, reporting on games, and creating content for newspapers, websites, or television
- Sports Broadcaster – Providing commentary and analysis during live sports events
- Athletic Communications Director – Managing all communication aspects of an athletic program, including press releases, media relations, and website content
- Social Media Manager – Managing an organization’s social media presence related to sports
- Sports Marketing Specialist – Developing marketing campaigns and sponsorship opportunities for sports teams or events