Archery, 1937. Courtesy of MSU University Archives & Historical Collections
Sport history is a minor field in the PhD program that explores the multidimensional and glocal history of sports. The focus is on analysis of sports not merely as physical competitions, but also as spaces for the formation of racial, ethnic, class, gender, national, and transnational identities and as commercial enterprises for the global entertainment industry.
Faculty members active in sport history include Peter Alegi, David Bailey, and Javier Pescador. Among the courses they regularly offer are: History of Sport in America (HST 324), College Sports History in the US (HST 329), and Global Culture of Soccer (ISS 328 and HST 487).
The Football Scholars Forum, an online think tank, is also based in the Department of History.