The public relations pseudo-event as cultural legitimacy: a study of National Signing Day

Abstract

This research studies the symbolic creation of societal meaning in the student athlete rite of passage that is National Signing Day. A case study technographic analysis of media and social media coverage of several ceremonies showed how public relations mediated the ritualistic nature of National Signing Day, creating a pseudo-event which generated significant media coverage. Results suggest that National Signing Day involves ritual and spectacle to become a cultural moment for athletes, embedded into society as an essential mediated aspect of the athlete’s journey, and rite of passage that conveys athletic legitimacy.