Sport Public Relations

Navigate the evolving world of sport public relations.

Now in its fourth edition, Sport Public Relations provides students, educators, and professionals with the foundational knowledge and modern strategies needed to navigate the evolving world of public relations (PR) in sport.

The textbook presents essential topics such as media relations, digital and social media engagement, crisis communication, community relations, and internal stakeholder management. It blends theoretical frameworks with practical applications, offering readers a well-rounded understanding of how PR functions within sport organizations. Each chapter is enriched with real-world case studies, updated statistics, and contemporary examples that reflect current industry practices and challenges.

Featuring an all-new full-color presentation, the fourth edition includes updated content:

Sidebars addressing artificial intelligence (AI), ethical issues in PR, and the challenges of communicating in a high-speed digital world
Focused discussion on name, image, and likeness (NIL) issues and athlete branding
New social media usage statistics, information about new trends in short-form content, and a case study on Gymshark’s influencer marketing strategy
Reinforced crisis communication planning with updated examples and strategies for evaluating response effectiveness, complemented by a new student activity addressing a crisis communication scenario
Information on digital engagement strategies beyond social media, with updated Internet usage data, discussions of cybersecurity, and an exploration of the impact of legal sports betting on website engagement
A semester-long project in which students will complete a series of assignments that culminate in the creation of a sport PR campaign plan

With a wealth of updated content and a continued focus on real-world applications, this text will give students the skills needed to succeed in today’s complex media and stakeholder environment. Emphasis on current technologies ensures readers are not only learning foundational PR principles but also gaining insight into how to apply them in modern, high-stakes scenarios. By addressing both external and internal communication strategies, the book prepares future professionals to build strong brands, manage crises, engage communities, and lead with purpose in a digitally driven and socially conscious industry.

Related online learning activities delivered through HKPropel include key term flash cards, a semester-long sport PR campaign project, and a crisis communication scenario activity. Pedagogical aids such as chapter objectives, key terms, sidebars, case studies, end-of-chapter summaries, recommended learning activities, and callouts directing students to the online activities are included throughout the text.

With Sport Public Relations, Fourth Edition, students will learn to think strategically about public relations in the sport context and develop consistent communication and stronger relationships between sport organizations and their key publics.

Note: A code for accessing HKPropel is included with all print books.

Author Biography

G. Clayton Stoldt, EdD, is a professor of sport management and the faculty athletics representative (FAR) at Wichita State University (WSU) in Kansas. He has taught and conducted research in sport public relations for more than 25 years. He was a college sport information director for 10 years, with responsibilities spanning media relations, donor advancement, and broadcasting. Stoldt also has nearly 20 years of academic administration experience at WSU, including serving as an interim dean, an associate dean, and a department chair.

Stoldt has published and presented extensively on the topic of sport public relations. His work as an academic leader and a sport public relations practitioner has been recognized at the national level, and he is highly engaged in college athletics based on his current role as a FAR. Stephen W. Dittmore, PhD, is the dean of the Silverfield College of Education and Human Services at the University of North Florida. Prior to this role, he spent two years at Baldwin Wallace University as dean of the College of Education and Health Sciences and 14 years as an administrator and faculty member at the University of Arkansas. He worked in sport public relations in both the 1996 and 2002 Olympic Games as director for the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee, coordinator for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, and public relations manager for USA Wrestling. In 2015, he served as the venue media manager for the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles. Dittmore is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. He is also the author of Jim Gilliam: The Forgotten Dodger and served as an assistant editor for the Athletic Director U website. Mike Ross, EdD, is associate dean and an associate professor of sport management at Wichita State University (WSU), with teaching specializations in sport public relations, technology in sport management, and sport leadership. Prior to joining the faculty in 2010, Ross was the assistant media relations director for WSU Athletics. He has sustained his involvement in sport communication practice in a number of ways, including serving as director of media operations for several NCAA men’s and women’s basketball regional events hosted in Wichita. Ross was the recipient of the Leadership in the Advancement of Teaching Award in 2016 and the College of Education Emory Lindquist Faculty Teaching Award in 2018, both from WSU.