Does your heart race when you see the perfect spiral thrown down the field? Do you hold your breath as an athlete steps to the free-throw line late in a tight contest? Do your palms get sweaty as a player lines up to take a penalty kick in overtime? 

If the answer is yes to any of those questions, then you are one of our top picks for URI’s Sports Media & Communication program and likely belong on our team. 

During the first quarter of the 21st century, the sports media industry has boomed as fan engagement, media rights, and valuations have skyrocketed. As we move into the next quarter, modern communication methods will allow easier access to global audiences, and technologically-enabled engagement will continue to drive the growth and transform the sports landscape. From traditional broadcasting to multimedia and social content creation to athlete/team/league promotion and more, sports media careers are shaping that landscape. And, with that surge and development, the industry will not simply affect economic ecosystems, but it will also play a significant cultural role in the construction of and interplay with ideologies, institutions and identities. 

As such, we believe the curriculum must combine critical aptitudes with modern media and communication skills to develop a nimble, culturally competent graduate. Students work with their academic advisors to customize their individual curriculum based on interests and curiosities. 

In our classrooms, students learn and are challenged by real-world professionals and some of the world’s top sport media scholars. Our full-time faculty boasts four Ph.D.s combined with nearly three decades of work in professional sports media and include award-winning sports journalists. Our part-time faculty come dir

ectly from the professional ranks of content creation, sportscasting, photography, production, sportswriting, social media strategy and include Emmy award- and Online News Association award-winners and nominees. 

Cutting-edge thinkers and influencers across sport industries visit campus, and extra-curricular activities in student media, such as WRIU Radio, The Good Five-Cent Cigar, ESPN+, Women in Sports club, and more offer students ample opportunities to learn, do, and grow