Religion, Sport, and Play Unit

The Religion, Sport, and Play Unit seeks individual paper and panel proposals for two sessions at the 2026 annual conference.

1. (Co-sponsored with Religion, Media, and Culture unit) “Sportswashing” and “Reputation Laundering”: Proposals that investigate the complex religious and political dynamics at stake in the rising global economies of the future. Consider the example of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 campaign, the controversies surrounding the Riyadh Comedy Festival (2025), WrestleMania 43 (2027), their hosting of the FIFA World Cup (2034), and the ongoing LIV professional golf tour. How do these national events detract from a country’s otherwise tarnished image, rehabilitating public opinion through sports worship and sacred leisure time? How is “sportswashing” used in more developed countries such as the United States? How are U.S. Americans equally culpable within these business dynamics? What role does religion play here either as a co-participant in the state’s dealings or as a source of critique? Studies of China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and others are also encouraged.
2. The United States stands at a constitutional crisis threatening individual freedoms, international relations, and profound stress on democratic institutions. With the increasing political instability across the United States, the Religion, Sport, Play unit invites papers examining the many contemporary intersections of religion and politics in sporting spaces. Preference will be given to proposals focusing on the integration of white Christian nationalist ideologies and sport, professional athlete responses to the chaos, violence, and precarity of police and immigration forces, and World Cup boycotts and critiques.  

The Religion, Sport, and Play Unit is committed to inclusion. Our Unit requires pre-arranged sessions or panel proposals to incorporate gender diversity; diversity of race, ethnicity, and rank are also highly encouraged.