Jeffrey Montez de Oca

Jeffrey Montez de Oca is a Professor of Sociology and Department Chair at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, where he also serves as the founding director of the Center for the Critical Study of Sport. He previously served as president of the North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) and maintains active leadership roles in academic organizations including the Pacific Sociological Association.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Southern California (2006), an M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University (1999), and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley (1995).

Professor Montez de Oca's research spans sociological theory, sport, media, and political economy, with particular focus on how sports intersect with social inequalities, identity politics, and cultural narratives. His work critically examines the role of sports in society, analyzing everything from NFL marketing strategies to mountain biking culture and land use politics. He has made significant contributions to understanding how sports media represents race, gender, and social justice issues, as well as how sports institutions engage with contemporary political movements.

His scholarly output reveals a consistent trajectory examining power dynamics within sports culture, with recent work focusing on athlete activism, 'woke' marketing in sports media, and the politics of representation. His publications demonstrate expertise across multiple subfields including sports sociology, media studies, race theory, and gender studies, with particular attention to how commercial interests interact with social justice movements in the sports world.

• North American Society for the Sociology of Sport Outstanding Book Award (2014) for Discipline & Indulgence: College Football, Media, and the American Way of Life During the Cold War

As Department Chair and faculty member, Montez de Oca has served on numerous committees addressing diversity, academic affairs, and community engagement. His teaching portfolio includes courses on sociological theory, sport, gender, popular culture, and capitalism, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to understanding social dynamics through the lens of sports culture. He has directed the Center for the Critical Study of Sport and played leadership roles in campus diversity initiatives, including chairing the UCCS Diversity Summit steering committee.

His current research focuses on mountain biking in western states with emphasis on land use politics, continuing his longstanding interest in how sports intersect with broader social, political, and economic structures.