Communication and Contradiction in the NCAA

An Unlevel Playing Field

Lawrence A. Wenner, Andrew C. Billings, Marie Hardin , Mike Milford

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English

Peter Lang Publishing Inc
12 November 2020

Communication studies; Sports governing bodies; American football

Series: Communication, Sport, and Society

Communication and Contradiction in the NCAA: An Unlevel Playing Field is a critical examination of the contradictory nature of the NCAA, and how the inherent contradictions impact the communication activities of its constituents, supporters, and challengers. At the heart of the NCAA is the student-athlete, born out of an idealistic collection of communal values that is often at odds with institutional practices. The rhetorical negotiation of the student-athlete’s identity informs and confuses communication practices on a number of levels, from interpersonal interactions to organizational apologia. Because the student-athlete is critical to maintaining the collegiate athletics orientation, the NCAA works overtime in promoting, maintaining, and defending it in the face of public scrutiny. The NCAA and its member institutions, like any organization, are compelled to answer public accusations, often working to defend inconsistent policies to an increasingly hostile audience. In an effort to solidify its power, the NCAA uses public discourse to maintain its position by establishing and enforcing proper codes of conduct for participants, and rationalizing unfair labor practices, athletics budgets, and rising tuition costs designed to boost athletics. In response they often rely on familiar rhetorical and organizational practices, such as branding, mascots, and heroic stories of student-athletes, all of which come with issues of their own. All of these communication phenomena, from interpersonal support-seeking to organizational scapegoating, are informed by the central student-athlete mythos. This puts the NCAA at a contradictory crossroads as they work to reconcile inconsistent practices and messages.

Edited by: Mike Milford, Lauren Reichart Smith
Series edited by: Lawrence A. Wenner, Andrew C. Billings, Marie Hardin
Imprint: Peter Lang Publishing Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Edition: New edition
Volume: 4
Dimensions: Height: 225mm, Width: 150mm,
Weight: 423g
ISBN: 9781433164965
ISBN 10: 1433164965
Series: Communication, Sport, and Society
Pages: 286
Publication Date: 12 November 2020
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Mike Milford (Ph.D., University of Kansas) is Associate Professor at Auburn University. He researches ideological messages in popular culture and sports. His research has appeared in a number of international journals and sport and political anthologies. Lauren Reichart Smith (Ph.D., University of Alabama) is Assistant Professor at Indiana University. She studies the intersection between sports, mass media, and social media. Her research has appeared in a number of national and international journals.

Reviews for Communication and Contradiction in the NCAA: An Unlevel Playing Field

"""As questions and concerns continue to arise about the role of athletics in universities across the United States, the role, purpose, and responsibilities of the NCAA must be examined thoroughly, with clear-eyed analysis and thoughtful critique. This important book fills that space beautifully. Including contributions from some of the most prominent scholars in sports communication, Lauren Reichart Smith and Mike Milford have deftly pulled together a broad range of perspectives to help define and inform these important debates moving forward."" Danielle Coombs, Kent State University ""This valuable volume studies sports communication in the United States with a focus on the NCAA. Scholars of Interpersonal, Rhetorical, and Organizational Communication will find much of interest here. Rarely do we find a book that integrates fields across Communication so well. As collegiate sports, as well as the professional ranks, change, this book will be an important tool for understanding this new world."" Barry Brummett, University of Texas ""Communication and Contradiction in the NCAA is a unique, and in a lot of ways refreshing, take on the various competing values and narratives present around the largest collegiate governing body. The collection of studies approach this examination from a number of different theoretical, contextual and methodological perspectives that make for a great read for sports communication, sports management and sports sociology scholars. What results from this collection is a sometimes supportive, sometimes damning, and always thoughtful discussion on the struggles the NCAA faces with its narrative."" Kenon A. Brown, University of Alabama"