“The Most Important Shot You Will Ever Take”: The Burgeoning Role of Social Media Activism in Challenging Embedded NCAA Patriarchy
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-21-2023
School
Marketing
Abstract
While the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) purpose is to protect college athletes within a hypercommercialized institutional setting, the protections prevent college athletes from accessing the lucrative marketplace. Extant literature has conceptualized the operating functions of the NCAA within the context of a patriarchal framework in which college athletes are infantilized, and authoritative institutional control is thereby justified. However, social media has provided a platform to engage in counter-storytelling and activism. As such, this study examined engagement with college-athlete-led social media activism. Utilizing a content-analysis methodological approach, social media engagement with the Twitter hashtag #NotNCAAProperty was examined over the course of the 2021 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. Findings revealed that most interactions were supportive of college athletes and suggest that social media may be a strategic mechanism for college athletes to engage in advocacy initiatives.
Publication Title
International Journal of Sport Communication
Volume
16
Issue
4
First Page
482
Last Page
492
Recommended Citation
Stokowski, S.,
Smith, A. B.,
Fridley, A.,
Corr, C.,
Paule-Koba, A. L.
(2023). “The Most Important Shot You Will Ever Take”: The Burgeoning Role of Social Media Activism in Challenging Embedded NCAA Patriarchy. International Journal of Sport Communication, 16(4), 482-492.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/21736