LOS ANGELES – Loyola Marymount University faculty experts are available to add context and commentary to stories about Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, Feb. 13, at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium. With the L.A. Rams on their home turf against the Cincinnati Bengals, LMU professors can comment on the significance of the game in the new stadium, what it means for Inglewood and the regional economy, as well as advertising strategies, branding messages and scrutiny over NFL hiring practices.
Email news@lmu.edu, or call our Media Line, 310.258.4636, to request an interview with these and other LMU faculty members:
Shaun Anderson, Assistant Professor of Organizational Communication
Social Responsibility and Sport, Athlete Activism
“Millions tune in for the NFL’s Superbowl each year. But the league is heading into its offseason having to handle another scandal. How does the league’s handling of the Brian Flores lawsuit create a conversation about diversity and inclusion in the workplace?”
Mitch Hamilton, Associate Professor and Chair of Marketing and Business Law
Consumer-Brand Relationships, Brand Activism
“From a brand messaging perspective, the Super Bowl offers brands an opportunity to say something meaningful to a captive audience on the largest scale imaginable. With various social issues at the forefront of many Twitter debates and water cooler conversations, it’s going to be interesting to see which brands decide to take a meaningful stand.”
Priscilla Leiva, Assistant Professor of Chicana/o and Latina/o Studies
Black and Latinx Fans and the History of the Rams in Los Angeles
Leiva’s research interests include relational ethnic studies, urban history and sports history, particularly as it relates to place-making and community formation. She is working on a book manuscript that examines how stadiums have produced and sustained racial meanings that shape ideas about the city and belonging.
Julian St. Clair, Associate Professor of Marketing and MBA Program Academic Director
Diversity Marketing, Consumer Identity, Consumer Learning
“Consumers have been calling for greater accountability from brands for their role in society’s most pressing social and environmental issues. The Super Bowl is a major opportunity for consumers to learn whether brands are making empty promises. I’ll be watching to see who is willing to center the voices of women of color, BIPOC, and QTPOC – or better yet, show how they are tangibly benefiting these underserved communities.”
Fernando Guerra, Professor of Political Science and Chicana/o Latina/o Studies; Founding Director, Center for the Study of Los Angeles
California and Los Angeles Politics; Public Opinion Research
As founding director of the Center for the Study of L.A., Guerra has been a principal investigator in more than 20 major studies on Los Angeles, leadership and electoral politics. He is called upon frequently by media outlets for his expertise on polling, local governance, urban politics and racial and ethnic politics.
Julie Shapiro, Director, Entertainment & Media Law Institute, LMU Loyola Law School
Sports as Entertainment, Sports Betting
“The Super Bowl is the single largest one-day event for sports betting. Native Rams and Bengals fans be aware: Live sports betting is prohibited in the states of both teams competing in the Super Bowl (CA & OH).”
Joseph Longo, Adjunct Professor of Sports Law, LMU Loyola Law School
NFL Players Association, Athlete Representation
“So much is at stake with a Super Bowl from the players’ perspective – everything from career-defining moments that will impact current and future contracts and endorsements to COVID protocols to mandatory team requirements that players must follow. Every minute of every day leading up to kick off is scheduled, contracted and under a worldwide microscope.”
