Tenure-Track Assistant Professor, Sports Media

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor

The Department of Media and Cinema Studies in the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign invites applicants for a full-time (100% FTE) tenure-track assistant professor position. We seek a scholar whose research examines sports, media, technology and culture in a rapidly evolving media landscape. The expected start date is August 16, 2027. This search is part of a cluster hiring initiative in the College of Media, with each of its academic department
- Advertising, Journalism, and Media & Cinema Studies- conducting an independent search for an assistant professor whose scholarship and teaching align with the priorities of their respective departments.

Ideal candidates for the Media and Cinema Studies position will possess the potential for high-quality research, publication, and teaching in the field of sports and media in US and/or global perspective. We are particularly interested in candidates who draw on interdisciplinary bodies of media theory, demonstrate methodological rigor and intellectual creativity, and may engage qualitative, quantitative, historical, interpretive, computational, or mixed-methods approaches.

Applicants should demonstrate the ability to teach across multiple media forms, technologies, industries, and cultural contexts, and to contribute to the undergraduate and graduate curricula in Media and Cinema Studies and graduate seminars through the College's Institute of Communications Research.

This is a 100% full-time academic position, appointed on a 9/12-month basis. The expected start date is August 16, 2027. The salary for this position is $80,000-$90,000. Salary will be competitive and commensurate with the candidate's qualifications, rank, and experience while considering internal equity. This position is eligible for sponsorship for work authorization, except for sponsorship of a new H1B petition that would incur the $100,000 fee.

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on September 15, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting and upload a cover letter, CV, writing sample of no more than 50 pages (dissertation chapter, conference paper, book chapter, article) that best illustrates research agenda and contributions, and the name and contact information for three academic references who will provide letters of recommendation.

Applications not submitted through (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). will not be considered. Full consideration will be given to applications received by September 15, 2026.

For further information about this specific position, please contact James Hay  questions regarding the application process, please contact .