Classes
Unlike many other sports media programs which are primarily lecture-based theoretical classes about the discipline of sports communications, our major is designed to give you both the theoretical and the hands-on skills training to produce sports media content for a variety of platforms.
In addition to the one required sports media skills class, students have several electives from which to choose so they can enter the job market with the skills needed to be successful sports practitioners.
See a list of required classes as well as some of the electives available to you in the Academic Bulletin.
-
SEC Football and the Sports Media
SEC football is more than just the games on Saturday. The media’s role in how the public views the SEC football games, schools, and athletes is a key component to the mystique of the league. This course examines the media’s role in the past, present, and future of the SEC and college football.
-
Super Bowl of Advertising
This class explores how commercials reflect and influence our society. On Super Bowl Sunday, students and faculty gather for Cocky's Super Ad Poll to watch the game and evaluate the commercials on likability, persuasiveness and brand identity. The Cocky Award goes to the winning ad.
-
Photojournalism at the Carolina Cup
This special topics course is available as an elective. The hands-on skills course is a fast-paced photography basics course combined with the real-world experience of working under deadline pressure as photojournalists.
Careers
The popularity of sports viewership and fandom as a recreational activity ensures that jobs in the sports media field remain plentiful. Sports games and matches on television are some of the most-watched programming each year. To put those events on television, audio and video technicians set up all cameras, microphones and miles of cable before the games begin. Once the action starts, the camera operators follow the athletes, the media technical directors select which of those cameras to show on broadcast, and the broadcast announcers describe what is happening. When the game is over, news analysts, reporters, and journalists write about the results in the newspaper or on the website, while photographers publish their best pictures from the game.
But that's not all. A new form of sports media has also led to the rise of additional jobs in the industry. The fastest growth in sports media is through team media — the practice of teams and leagues creating their own content on websites and social media. Teams have essentially become their own news media outlet and are hiring journalists to report on the team, photographers to take photos, and video editors and graphic designers to create eye-catching multimedia content for websites and social media.
Alumni
We have a large group of award-winning alumni who have gone through our existing programs, which have included a sports media concentration and a sports media minor.
-
Alex Grant runs it back
Carolina Panthers digital video manager reflects on his days in Gamecock Productions.
-
Tori Richman scores big at the Super Bowl
As most people watched from their TVs, SJMC alumna Tori Richman watched through her camera lens on the sideline.
-
Kent Babb: Beyond the ceiling
Kent Babb has dreamed of a career in sports writing since junior high. Now, he’s living that dream as a sports feature writer for The Washington Post.
The Faculty
You will study with award-winning professionals who will inspire, motivate and prepare you. Meet just a few of the faculty whose expertise will equip you for an exciting career in sports media.
Join Us
Schedule a visit to campus.
Apply today to become a Gamecock.
Have questions? Need More Information?
Complete this online form and we will be in touch.