529 SPORTS is looking for stories that see sports as more than what happens on the scoreboard.
We’re interested in sharp, original journalism about the people, culture, communities, business, politics, identity and ideas that surround sports. A 529 story should give readers something they didn’t know before, make them look at something familiar differently, or take them somewhere they otherwise wouldn’t have access to.
We welcome pitches from both established and emerging writers.
What We’re Looking For
We’re especially interested in:
Reported Features
Original stories built through reporting, interviews and research. We want compelling characters, specific scenes and a clear reason this story matters now.
Profiles
Athletes, coaches, fans, executives, creators and people around sports whose stories reveal something larger than their resume.
Sports + Culture
Stories at the intersection of sports and fashion, music, media, internet culture, food, art, identity and everyday life.
Essays & Analysis
Pieces with a clear idea or argument — not simply a reaction to something that happened. Tell us what you think readers are missing and make the case for why.
Underreported Stories
Communities, leagues, athletes, traditions and corners of the sports world that receive less attention than they deserve.
Unexpected Stories
Some of our favorite pitches may be difficult to categorize. If there’s a great sports story hiding somewhere most people aren’t looking, we want to hear it.
What Makes a Good 529 Pitch?
Don’t just pitch us a topic.
“Women’s soccer is growing” is a topic.
A pitch tells us what specifically is happening, what you want to find out or argue, why it matters and how you’re going to tell the story.
A strong pitch should answer:
What is the story? Give us the central idea in a sentence or two.
Why now? Tell us what makes the story timely or relevant.
What’s new? What can your piece add that existing coverage hasn’t?
How will you report it? Tell us who you hope to interview, what access you have and what reporting you plan to do.
Why 529? Give us a sense of why this story belongs here.
Why you? If you have particular knowledge, access or experience that makes you the right person to report it, tell us.
You don’t need to have completed all of the reporting before pitching. We do want enough detail to understand that there is a real story there.
How to Send Your Pitch
Please send one story idea per email. Your pitch should generally be around 300–500 words and include:
Subject: PITCH: [Short working headline]
Then include:
Your opening hook.
A concise explanation of the story and proposed angle.
Why the story matters now.
Your reporting plan and potential sources or access.
A short introduction to you.
Links to 2–3 relevant clips, if you have them.
You do not need an extensive publishing portfolio to pitch us. If you don’t have clips yet, that’s okay — just tell us a little about yourself and why you’re equipped to tell the story.
Please put the pitch in the body of the email rather than sending it only as an attachment.
Send pitches to contact@529sports.co
A Few Pitches We Probably Won’t Accept
We’re generally not looking for:
Standard game recaps
Basic sports news that has already been widely reported
Generic rankings or listicles
Arguments built entirely around “Player X is underrated/overrated”
Pitches that are simply a broad subject without a story or angle
Pieces that reproduce reporting already done elsewhere without significantly advancing it
That doesn’t mean we never cover major sports news. It means we want to know what 529 can add to it.
Reporting & Editorial Standards
If we accept your pitch, you should expect to work collaboratively with an editor.
Writers are responsible for accurately representing interviews, documents and other source material. Any potential conflicts of interest should be disclosed before accepting an assignment.
Quotes should not be fabricated or altered in a way that changes their meaning. Facts, statistics, names and other verifiable information should be sourced and checked.
Whenever possible, subjects of significant criticism should be given a fair opportunity to respond.
529 SPORTS does not tolerate plagiarism.
We also expect contributors to disclose the use of generative AI in the reporting or creation of submitted work. AI-generated quotations, sources, interviews or fabricated reporting are never acceptable.