Dr. Vince Benigni has been a well-renowned professor in the College of Charleston Communications Department for the past 22 years, but his experience in public relations and sports communication extends far beyond. At the College, he has found a niche in sports journalism, and teaches Intro to Strategic Communication, Sport and Society, and Media in the Digital Age. In 1983, Dr. Benigni received a journalism degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a subsequent English degree from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. He received his Ph.D. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Georgia in 1999, where he began developing a presence in southern identity.
Dr. Benigni is originally from Western Pennsylvania, but has spent the last 30 years in the South studying southern college football, the role of social media in southern sports, and the SEC fandom. His work in southern studies concerns the culture and the influence that has come from southern sports, particularly football: “That SEC slogan ‘It means more’ rings true,” he says. “I think there’s some truth to that, that people in the South go a little crazy and have made the fandom as big as the sports.” He describes the football tailgating rituals to be almost a religious aspect– “You hear stories that people never get married on a college football Saturday.” Dr. Benigni is currently examining what he called the “trifecta of crises” in 2020 and their impact on southern sports– the impacts of the coronavirus and racial movements from a financial standpoint have had staggering impacts on 2020 collegiate sports. Many universities, particularly southern ones, have taken huge pocketbook hits from the lack of a fan base in the stands. Television revenues, merchandising, and tailgating spots have declined, all of which help to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into schools like Clemson and Alabama.
Dr. Benigni’s professional connection to Southern Studies has also fueled his personal one; immersing himself in the SEC fandom has only increased his stance as a huge sports fanatic, and he’s taken a greater liking to college football since moving to the South. He’s become fascinated with how at many of these southern schools, identity is based on football– the fan base and culture has shaped southern football programs to be more than the sport itself.
In addition to the impact of the coronavirus on college sports, Dr. Benigni is studying the racial imbalances in certain sports: “We haven’t seen a big explosion of black athletes in Southern country club sports like golf, or even baseball– you would think a lot might be inclined to pursue these, but there’s a real access problem for some in the South,” Dr. Benigni said. Educational and monetary gaps have prevented many struggling southern areas from promoting “country club sports.” These collegiate programs have never been as aggressive in recruiting black athletes, leaving them to reevaluate how they handle their admissions processes in today’s political climate. Lately, he’s been analyzing how many smaller southern schools– Davidson, Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina– have been directing funds towards their athletic programs to then bolster their national profile, and in turn, the admissions process. Winning sports programs, Benigni says, have been instrumental in improving universities’ academic profiles as well.
