CFP: The Eighth Summit on Communication and Sport

Call for Papers and Panels
The Eighth Summit on Communication and Sport
March 6-8, 2015 in Charlotte, NC

The International Association for Communication and Sport (IACS) will host the 8th Summit on Communication and Sport.  The 8th Summit will be March 6-8, 2015 at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Center City Campus, a new facility located in the heart of downtown Charlotte and within easy walking distance of attractions, sports venues, restaurants, hotels, and public transportation. Charlotte is home to professional sports teams (The Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets), the NASCAR Hall of Fame, The Charlotte Motor Speedway, and major sports media outlets (ESPNU, The Sporting News). Inexpensive flights into Charlotte-Douglas Airport are typically available from multiple departure points, and hotel accommodations in downtown Charlotte are very reasonable.

To learn more about the 2015 Summit or IACS, please visit  http://www.communicationandsport.com.

We invite you to consider presenting at the 2015 Summit on Communication and Sport. The IACS Summit is the leading venue for communication researchers interested in exploring sport from diverse critical, methodological, and multi-disciplinary perspectives.

All submissions for the 2015 Summit must be uploaded to the online submission system (http://iacs2015.acamedics.com) by 11:59 PM (U.S. Eastern Time) on Wednesday, November 5th, 2014. All submissions will be evaluated through a blind peer review process and the author(s) of accepted submissions will receive email notification no later than Wednesday, December 10th, 2014.  A maximum of two (2) first-authored submissions from a single author will be considered for presentation.

Scholars interested in submitting to the 2015 Summit have three options: (1) an abstract submission; (2) a full-length manuscript submission; or (3) a panel presentation submission.

* Abstract submissions may be up to 500 words in length and should be prepared for blind review (clear of any identifying information about the author(s)).

* Full-length manuscript submissions must be prepared for blind review (clear of any identifying information about the author(s)), limited to 7,500 words (including references and tables/figures), and prepared using a consistent citation style (e.g. APA, Chicago, MLA).

* Panel submissions must include a title, a description of up to 500 words explaining the focus and rationale, a list of all panelists' institutional or professional affiliations, and (for panels with individual papers) titles and brief descriptions of each presentation. All research sessions are one hour and fifteen minutes long, so please submit panel presentations that allow for at least 15 minutes of discussion.

IACS will recognize the Top Student Paper submitted to the Summit. Only full-length manuscript submissions will be eligible for the Top Student Paper Award. Students should mark full-length manuscript submissions as “Student” submissions in the upper right hand corner of the first page.

The Summit on Communication and Sport welcomes submissions from all methodological and theoretical perspectives.  Any inquiries regarding conference events should be directed to Dr. Dan Grano (dgrano@uncc.edu). Any inquires regarding conference submissions should be directed to Dr. Sandra Alspach (SandraAlspach@ferris.edu).

Additional information and updates regarding 2015 Summit events will be posted to the IACS website (http://www.communicationandsport.com).

ACCOMODATIONS
A small block of rooms will be reserved at one or more hotels within walking distance of the UNC Charlotte Center City Campus building. Please visit the IACS website (http://www.communicationandsport.com) for updates.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM
The academic program will run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST) on March 6^th and 7^th, and from 8:00 am to 12:45 pm on March 8^th. Both breakfast and lunch will be served at the Center City Campus building to all paid conference attendees. The conference will feature panels and presentations from scholars and working professionals alike, and will serve as a space that bridges the diverse theoretical, critical, and applied interests of attendees. It is our hope to create interactions between academics and the wealth of sports professionals working in Charlotte.