Sport Sociology, NASSS, and Undergraduate Education in the United States: A Social Network Perspective for Developing the Field

There has been no research about the prevalence of undergraduate sport sociology courses or about the links between NASSS and the institutions and faculty offering these courses. This article begins to fill this research gap. It uses a social network perspective to show how NASSS is connected to the "idea space" of undergraduate sport sociology courses in the U.S. and to the "social space" of institutions and instructors offering these courses. The data concern the prevalence, distribution, and content of undergraduate sport sociology courses in the U.S. and their connection to NASSS. A "call to action" for NASSS is proposed, especially in terms of how NASSS could expand its social network and its influence over the curricular idea space of sport sociology by reaching out to instructors of sport sociology courses. Suggestions for related future research are also proposed.