Guest Editors
- Dr. Khalid Ballouli, University of South Carolina
- Dr. Beth Cianfrone, Georgia State University
- Dr. Windy Dees, University of Miami
- Dr. Jonathan A. Jensen, Texas A&M University
- Dr. Gregg Bennett, Texas A&M University
The field of sport marketing has a rich and evolving history that has shaped its current landscape and promises to influence its future trajectory. This special issue of Sport Marketing Quarterly (SMQ) invites submissions that explore the intersection of research within the discipline and the pivotal role of the Sport Marketing Association (SMA) over the past 25 years (2002-2027), with a focus on the future of the field and the next 25 years of sport marketing research. Incidentally, 2027 also marks the 35th anniversary of SMQ, making 2027 an ideal year in which to publish a special issue to mark both milestones.
As a cornerstone organization, the SMA and its scholarly journal SMQ have influenced research priorities, methodologies, and the broader evolution of the academic study of sport marketing through its activities, initiatives, and internal dynamics.
We seek to foster scholarship that examines the intellectual and institutional foundations of sport marketing, such as review articles that either review the field’s evolution over the past 25 years or analyze 20+ years of historical data. However, we are particularly seeking work that uses this foundation to examine issues affecting the next 25 years, from a conceptual, empirical, or theoretical perspective. Ideally, papers targeting the special issue should be forward-looking, theory-building, field-shaping, and integrative.
This special issue offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a comprehensive historical perspective that informs future scholarship and practice in the field and lays a foundation for academic research in sport marketing.
Submissions are encouraged by researchers at all career stages and from diverse academic fields such as marketing, management, analytics, economics, law, sociology, psychology, communication, and cultural studies. We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews articles, historical narratives, and in-depth case studies that may utilize the past and present to illuminate the future of sport marketing.
Potential Topics
While any submission in the area of sport marketing is welcome, we are in particular seeking submissions that focus on the following topic areas and utilize this foundation to inform the next 25 years of the discipline:
- Founding narratives and the early trajectory of sport marketing as a stand-alone discipline and its organizational structure.
- Key figures and their influence on the intellectual and institutional landscape of sport.
- Examinations of the evolution of research methods, approaches, and sub-disciplines within the context of the SMA.
- Papers that analyze up to 25 years of historical, longitudinal data related to the fields of sport marketing, sponsorship, sport marketing analytics, consumer behavior, etc.
- Review articles that offer an analysis of the evolution of knowledge or the sport marketing literature over a 25-year period.
- Papers that offer conceptual or empirical models that inform us about the next 25 years of academic literature.
- Significant historical events (e.g., conferences, publications, debates, periods of crisis, or reform) and their impact on the discipline and the SMA.
- Research the bibliometrics of published work in sport marketing, tracing its growth and influence. .
- Important academic leaders and institutions that have shaped sport marketing scholarship.
- The history of SMA and its role in advancing the field.
- The relationship between SMA and broader societal, political, or cultural forces.
- Challenges faced by sport marketing and SMA at various historical junctures.
- The role of SMA in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the field.
- Connections between sport marketing research and related academic disciplines.
- The evolution of sport law within sport marketing research and SMA’s contributions to advancing legal scholarship.
Submission Guidelines
Manuscripts should follow the 7th edition of the American Psychological Association (www.apa.org) publication formatting and should be prepared in accordance with Sport Marketing Quarterly “Author Guidelines.” Manuscripts mustnot have been previously published and must not be submitted to another journal while under review at the Sport Marketing Quarterly.
Manuscripts should be submitted no later than October 1, 2026, using ScholarOne on Sport Marketing Quarterly website.Authors should indicate in their cover letter that the submission is to be considered for the special issue on “Twenty-five Years of SMA.”
Please note: When submitting your manuscript, please ensure to select the ‘Special Issue’ option within the ScholarOne system. Each author is allowed to submit up to two manuscripts for this special issue, but may only be first author on one submission, ensuring broader participation and diverse contributions. Editorial team members are limited to co-authorship of two submissions, in addition to their authorship of the special issue introduction.
Manuscripts must be original and unpublished work.
- Submissions should range between 6,000 and 10,000 words, including footnotes and references.
- All submissions will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process.
- Manuscripts must adhere to the Sport Marketing Quarterly author guidelines, using APA style for citations and formatting.
- Proposals are highly encouraged and should be sent to the guest editors.
- For inquiries regarding the suitability of your research, submit a brief pre-submission inquiry to the guest editors using the email addresses below.
Why Contribute?
Publishing in this special issue offers the opportunity to reach a wide and influential audience while contributing to a landmark exploration of the next 25 years of sport marketing. We encourage diverse perspectives to ensure a rich and inclusive narrative.
For questions or pre-submission inquiries, please contact the guest editors. We also invite you to share this call with your networks to help attract a diverse and high-quality set of submissions.
Begin crafting your contribution today to be part of this pivotal special issue that will shape the historical understanding of sport marketing and the legacy of the Sport Marketing Association!
Contact information for Guest Editors
Dr. Khalid Ballouli, Professor
David and Nicole Tepper Department of Sport and Entertainment Management, University of South Carolina
1705 College Street, Columbia, SC 29208
Email: ballouli@sc.edu
Dr. Beth Cianfrone, Professor
Department of Kinesiology and Health, Georgia State University
125 Decatur Street, Atlanta, GA 30301
Email: bcianfrone@gsu.edu
Dr. Windy Dees, Professor
Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences, University of Miami
PO Box 248065, Coral Gables, FL 33124
E-mail: wdees@miami.edu
Dr. Jonathan A. Jensen, Associate Professor
Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas A&M University
4243 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843
E-mail:jajensen@tamu.edu
Dr. Gregg Bennett, Professor
Department of Marketing, Texas A&M University
4243 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843
E-mail: gbennett@tamu.edu
