For the second year in a row, Rowan University has accepted its largest freshman class ever. Of the 3,400 freshmen who were admitted in the 2025-26 school year, came 120 new students in the Sports Communication and Media (Sports CaM) program, making this the largest cohort of Sports CaM majors ever admitted to Rowan.
The Sports CaM program was initially launched in 2018 and focuses on the role of communication and media within the sports industry.
Since its launch, Sports CaM quickly became one of the most popular majors among students in the former Ric Edelman College of Communication & Creative Arts, now known as the Edelman College of Communication, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
Coordinator for the Sports CaM program, Dr. Emil Steiner, believes this proves that sports are a purposeful area of education.
“Well, I think what it reflects is the reality of our cultural landscape,” Steiner said. “That sports is a relevant form of academic inquiry, and also of cultural relevance, both sorts of financially and more on the professional side.”
Senior Director for the Center of Sports Communication and Social Impact, Neil Hartman, believes the growth in social media contributes to the demand for Sports CaM.
“Well, the industry has changed in a massive way in the last five years, the use of cell phones and the accessibility of streaming, it has changed everything from when people were used to it 15-20 years ago,” Hartman said. “So now there’s opportunities for our students in social media and streaming, and the teams in the sports industry all have their own content divisions.”
Hartman also explained that it has been a challenge to keep making sure that students get a personalized experience, but has a lot of help. Lindsay Masciangelo was recently named the assistant director of the Center for Sports Communication and Social Impact, and has been assisting Hartman in a variety of ways, including meeting one-on-one with Sports CaM students.
“It’s a challenge to be able to give that personalized and we tell people at open houses that we provide highly personalized attention to all our students. It’s not me personally right now that can see all the students just because of the sheer size of the program,” Hartman said. “But I now have Lindsay Masciangelo, who’s helping out and meeting with students, and so we are able to divide and conquer,”
Steiner thinks that Rowan’s proximity to major media markets, like Philadelphia and New York City, leverages Sports CaM and separates their program from that of other schools.
“One of the great advantages of Sports CaM, one of the things that really puts us above a lot of the other programs in the country, is our location, geographically,” Steiner said. “I mean, we’re 25 minutes from the fourth-largest media market in the country. We’re an hour and 45 minutes from the largest market.”
Hartman is working with Rowan Athletics, specifically the Director of Athletics, Shawn Tucker, to build more opportunities in social media for students in the major.
“One (arrangement) that we’re really building on and working on very hard is Rowan athletics right here on campus,” Hartman said. “Shawn and I have worked very closely together since he was hired this summer and trying to enhance the opportunities for our students in social media.”
With this influx of students, some organizations on campus, like Rowan Television Network (RTN) and Rowan Radio are getting overwhelmed by the amount of students looking to join their sports departments.
Hartman believes that this is a good problem to have.
“These extracurricular activities, The Whit, RTN, and Rowan Radio, yeah, they’re all bursting at the seams,” Hartman said. “It’s a good problem to have.”
Hartman assures that even with the influx, Sports CaM remains a great experience for every student.
“We’re all bursting at the seams, but we’re figuring out ways to make it work and to be able to, again, make sure the experience is a quality one for all of our students,” Hartman said.
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