At the end of the final session of the 2nd Big Ten CIC Symposium on the Sociology of Sport at the University of Minnesota (1978), Andrew Yiannakis called for the formation of a sociology of sport society. A group of about twenty interested members endorsed the need to form such a society and called for the formation of a steering committee composed of Susan Greendorfer, Lee Vander Velden, Peggy Cramer, Eldon Snyder and Yiannakis. Yiannakis was appointed Chair of this committee, Susan Greendorfer assumed the position of Treasurer and Lee Vander Velden became Secretary. The steering committee was entrusted with the task of starting a newsletter, collecting membership dues, planning for an annual conference and investigating the feasibility of starting a journal. The first newsletter, known as The NASSS Newsletter, was published in December of 1978. Andrew Yiannakis was the first editor and was later joined by John Sugden, who assumed the role of associate editor.

Founders: Andrew Yiannakis, Susan Greendorfer
Founding Members: George Sage, March Krotee, Eldon Snyder, Elmer Spreitzer, Lee Vander Velden, Peggy Cramer, Jim Bryant, Merrill Melnick, Tom McIntyre, Janet Harris, Jim Frey, Joel Thirer, Rich Lapchick, Dean Anderson, Gunther Lueschen, Jim Santomeir, Fred Hatfield, Dan Landers and Jim Lapoint.