Faculty Spotlight: Jason Simmons, Master’s in Sport Administration

Q: What are the Courses you teach?
SMGT 7001: Applied Research Methods for Athletic Administration; SMGT 7013: Strategic Athletic Marketing and Communication.

Q: What do you emphasize most in your teaching?
Without question, the thing I emphasize most is real-world application. I want to put students in the shoes of industry professionals and decision-makers. I want students applying concepts they’ve learned in class within real-world situations and justifying their decisions.

Q: What are some of your favorite assignments?
In the grad marketing and communication course, we work on a semester-long project that was developed in conjunction with the marketing team with UC athletics. There are different iterations of the project, but it’s designed to guide students along the sport marketing process, and address actual marketing problems/challenges/opportunities facing college athletic administrators.

Q: How long have you been at UC?
This is my 8th year in the sport administration program at UC.

Q: How long have you been teaching?
I have been teaching for 13 years (University of Cincinnati, University of Tampa, University of Louisville, Bellarmine University).

Q: What is your background/professional experience in athletics?  

Prior to academia, I worked in public relations in both college and professional athletics.

Q: What are some of you research interests?
A primary function of my role at UC is to conduct research. My research interests center on sport consumer behavior, with a focus on constraints inhibiting sport consumption. I’m also interested in the intersection of family and sport, specifically how sport fans simultaneously balance the demands of their fan and family roles, as well as understanding family needs when attending live sporting events.

Q: Favorite sports team?
Washington Football Team, UC Bearcats, FC Cincinnati.