Dr. Sayvon JL Foster, affectionately known as “Doc Von” or simply “Prof,” is an assistant professor of sport management at the University of Kansas. His research examines how culture, identity, and leadership shape sport organizations and athlete experiences—with particular emphasis on HBCU athletics, the Black sport experience, and athletic departments at Special Mission Institutions.
Through this work, Dr. Foster helps students better understand how sport organizations connect with communities, build organizational culture, and navigate leadership, communication, and operational challenges across the industry. His scholarship has been published in journals including the Journal of Black Studies, Sociology of Sport Journal, Communication & Sport, and the Journal of Sport Media.
Dr. Foster has taught courses including Introduction to Sport Management, Sociology of Sport, Sport Ethics, Sport Finance, Content Creation in Sport, and Personnel Management in Sport Organizations. Across his courses, he encourages students to connect classroom concepts to real-world industry issues while developing practical leadership and critical thinking skills that prepare them for careers across the sport industry.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Foster brings professional experience in admissions and recruitment, marketing and fan engagement, operations management, facilities management, youth sport programming, and game day operations.