With a legacy steeped in Philadelphia sports history, Klein College of Media and Communication is the perfect place to launch a sports media certificate program. After all, with alumni like Kevin Negandhi, KLN ‘97; Claire Smith, KLN ‘79; Mel Greenberg, KLN ‘69 and Marc Zumoff, KLN ‘92, it’s clear that Temple University has attracted Philadelphia sports media icons for decades. So when faculty and administrators realized that Temple had been home to sports media icons that easily compete with other universities offering sports media degrees and concentrations, they realized that Klein was uniquely predisposed to change their students’ careers and lives as well.

After two and a half years in the making, the program will be open for enrollment during the Fall 2021 semester. However, sophomores and juniors may begin taking credits to count toward the certificate starting in Spring 2021. 

While Klein has already been offering a wide variety of sports media courses for years, the new certificate will also include courses created specifically for this program. Additionally, the certificate offers some collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts and the Fox School of Business and Management, allowing students to take courses in management as well as GenEd and liberal arts such as HIST 2116: Baseball and American History. Within Klein, courses span across all departments, practices and academic interests.

Arlene Notoro Morgan, assistant dean for external affairs at Klein, was instrumental in creating the program, along with associate professor of practice in the Department of Media Studies and Production Matthew Fine and managing director of student media John DiCarlo. A Phillies fan since childhood (who in fact hired legendary baseball reporter and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Claire Smith at the Philadelphia Inquirer), Notoro Morgan says that she is perhaps most excited to see where students take the research aspect of the program, especially since Philadelphia has such a unique sports culture that begs to be engaged with.

“People go to the games on Sunday. They don’t go to church anymore,” she says.

Marc Zumoff, the voice of the Philadelphia 76ers, was also instrumental in building the sports media culture that currently exists at Klein. Zumoff regularly comes back to campus to host a series of workshops from the perspective of a seasoned reporter, paying it forward to his alma mater and one of the greatest sports cities in the country. 

He said that the college’s culture is almost entirely a reflection of Philadelphia’s sports culture. “One of the advantages of going to Temple is that, first of all, Philadelphia is maybe more passionate than any other sports market in the country,” he said. “To say that fans live and die with their sports teams is totally accurate; the meaning of their teams is greater than almost any other city, even when they lose.”

Matthew Fine believes a large part of this culture, as well as a large part of what makes Temple such a unique place to study sports media, is due to the abundance of exciting teams and opportunities all over the city. Both Fine and Notoro Morgan pointed out that while Philadelphia’s professional teams certainly have towering reputations, the numerous college and high school teams form the foundation of a thriving athletic culture.

“Our laboratory would rival any other laboratory in the country, including Boston and Chicago,” Fine said. “So there are other opportunities where this kind of a [sports] concentration certificate is available, but they don’t have the laboratory, I think, that we do.”

And the evidence is clear, since alumni like Zumoff and Negandhi not only continue to thrive in mainstream sports markets, but also come back to campus and give back.

“Whether it was the education that I got, the resources I was able to utilize or, more importantly, the people and professors that helped me not only when I was a student but who continue to be a source of inspiration today; Temple is the way to go,” Zumoff said. “If you’re a Philadelphian or you’re from Washington State, if you come to Temple to study sports media, you will be much better for it.”