The Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising 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 and media in a rapidly evolving media landscape. The expected start date is August 16, 2027. Successful applicants should demonstrate a promising record of scholarship and an eagerness to contribute to the department’s research, teaching, service, and public engagement missions. This search is part of a cluster hiring initiative in the College of Media, with each of its academic departments—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. Together, these hires will build on our strengths and expand our expertise in sports media. Ideal candidates for the Advertising position will have research and teaching interests in areas such as: Sports and public relations Athletes and personal branding, sports and social media, NIL, sports influencers Sports branding/advertising Fan engagement, experiential branding, sponsorship Sports, identity, and representation in advertising Sports media analytics and measurement Sports media platforms, media use and audiences Esports Applicants should have a Ph.D. in hand by August 16, 2027, in a relevant field, including but not limited to advertising, communication, mass communication, marketing, sports management, psychology, or information sciences.