Sport Management Symposium
Seth Davis to headline 2026 Sport Management Symposium on the future of live sports media
Award-winning sports writer and broadcaster Seth Davis will headline Elon University’s upcoming Sport Management Symposium, bringing decades of national media experience to campus for a keynote conversation on the evolving world of live sports coverage.
The symposium will take place Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 4:15 to 6:30 p.m. in Turner Theatre, and will explore how live sports are being reshaped across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms — and what those shifts mean for the future of the industry. Two panels are scheduled following the keynote, addressing “League TV Rights Strategy in a Shifting Media Landscape” and “Tech Companies, Streaming and Sports Content.”
Elon community members, including students, faculty and staff, are all encouraged to attend. Off-campus community members are also welcome, but they are asked to reserve a (free) ticket beforehand. To reserve tickets, complete the form at the bottom of the page.
Davis, a longtime fixture on CBS Sports’ studio coverage of college basketball and the NCAA Tournament, is widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in sports media. He is also the founder of Hoops HQ, a full-scale media company devoted to serving hard-core college basketball fans, further positioning him at the intersection of traditional sports broadcasting and emerging digital media models.
Since 2004, Davis has combined on-air analysis with deep reporting and storytelling, offering insight into both the games themselves and the broader forces transforming sports media.
In addition to his broadcasting career, Davis spent 22 years as a writer for Sports Illustrated and currently serves as managing editor for college basketball at The Athletic. He is the author of five books, including New York Times best-sellers “Wooden: A Coach’s Life and When March Went Mad: The Game Transformed Basketball.” His most recent book, “Getting to Us: How Great Coaches Make Great Teams,” examines leadership through in-depth profiles of elite coaches and introduces the PEAK framework — Persistence, Empathy, Authenticity and Knowledge — as a blueprint for building successful teams
A former stand-up comedian who once performed throughout New York City, Davis brings a distinctive voice and perspective shaped by storytelling, humor and a deep understanding of sports culture. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, three sons and their Goldendoodle, Clarence.
Hosted by the Department of Sport Management, the annual symposium connects students with leading professionals to examine real-world trends influencing sports, media and fan engagement. Past keynote presenters include Jim Phillips, ACC commissioner; Steve Phelps, NASCAR president; and DeMaurice Smith, former executive director of the NFL Players Association.
Panels
League TV Rights Strategy in a Shifting Media Landscape
Tyler McBride
Vice President of Media Partnerships, Atlantic Coast Conference
Tyler McBride joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in March 2024, overseeing the day-to-day for the ACC’s media partnerships (television, digital and radio). He joined the conference after spending more than 10 years working at ESPN, managing programming and partnerships for College Baseball, SEC Network and Longhorn Network. A native of Charlotte, McBride earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of South Carolina and his master’s degree from Ohio University.
John Kosner
President, Kosner Media
John Kosner is president of Kosner Media, a digital media and sports consultancy. The longtime sports media veteran has served as an adviser to Apple, the USOPC/LA28, MLS, Big East, PRCA, WHOOP and WSC Sports, among others. Previously, Kosner led digital media at ESPN from 2003-2017. In his 21 years at the Worldwide Leader in Sports, Kosner built ESPN into a leading digital sports destination. Prior to ESPN, he worked at Sports Illustrated and spent eight years at the NBA, where he oversaw U.S. broadcasting during the Dream Team era. Kosner and his former NBA colleague, Ed Desser, devise sports media strategies and negotiate media agreements for rightsholders, and they write periodic columns for the Sports Business Journal. In 2026, Kosner and Desser will release their first book about the sports media business. Kosner graduated from Stanford University in 1982.
Austin Karp
Sports Media Reporter, Sports Business Journal
Austin Karp is a sports media reporter for Sports Business Journal, the industry’s leading trade publication, where he has spent two decades covering the business of sports media. His reporting focuses on media rights deals, television and streaming audience measurement, media talent movement, network strategies, and related industry trends. Before his current role, Karp served as a managing editor at Sports Business Journal, where he launched the publication’s newsletter division. Before joining SBJ, he practiced law with Moore & Van Allen, PLLC. Karp lives in Charlotte and is a graduate of Georgia Tech and the University of Toledo College of Law.
Tech Companies, Streaming and Sports Content
Michael Morris
Principal of Strategy and Finance, Prime Video Sports
Michael Morris is a sports media and strategy executive with experience evaluating and structuring live sports rights deals across streaming and traditional media. Most recently, he served as principal of sports strategy and finance at Amazon Prime Video, where he assessed large-scale rights investments, including Amazon’s global NBA agreement, as well as deals with the Masters, NFL, NASCAR, WNBA, and NWSL, among others. Previously, Morris was director of strategy and business development at CBS Sports Digital (Paramount Global), with earlier experience at WarnerMedia and J.P. Morgan. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Michele Steele
Host & Director of Content Strategy, Stocktwits
Michele Steele is a journalist and media executive who has recently returned to financial media after a 14-year tenure at ESPN. She teamed up with Howard Lindzon to launch a podcast series for Stocktwits, targeting retail investors. In addition to co-hosting the podcast, Steele serves as Stocktwits’ director of content strategy, overseeing the company’s expansion into podcasts and helping shape a unified editorial approach across mobile, social and streaming platforms, with a focus on market drivers and retail-investor sentiment. Prior to ESPN, Steele worked as an anchor and reporter at Bloomberg Television, where she became the network’s first full-time sports reporter. Earlier in her career, she reported on technology and business for Forbes.
Alex Day '16
Host/Producer, No Huddle Sports
Alex Day is a sports broadcaster and content creator based in New York City. After graduating from Elon in 2016 with a degree in broadcast journalism, Day worked in production for Duke University’s Blue Devil Network and then Yankee Productions, where he won two Emmy Awards. He then pivoted to a career on-air, building a following on social media. Day spent three years working as a content creator, host and announcer for the digital network Overtime, before leaving in 2024 to start working as a freelancer. Since then, he has become one of the most prominent voices in New York sports media, serving as a host/reporter for the YES Network, interviewing stars like Jalen Brunson, Puka Nacua, Justin Jefferson, Johnny Manziel, and partnering with dozens of the biggest brands and media companies.
Reserve Tickets
Off-campus community members are asked to reserve a (free) ticket beforehand. Elon students, faculty and staff do NOT need to reserve tickets. (There is no confirmation email after a completed ticket request.)