This public opinion survey by the Elon University Poll and the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics was conducted July 7-11, 2025, and released on August 6, 2025. The survey results are jointly published by the two organizations and are available for use under a Creative Commons license, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Users must give appropriate credit to the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and the Elon University Poll, provide a link to the license and indicate if changes were made. The material may only be used for noncommercial purposes.

> Click here for a text-only, screen reader version of all charts in this report.

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, founded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in 1989, is an independent group that leads transformational change to prioritize college athletes’ education, health, safety, and success. The Commission has a legacy of influencing NCAA policies that have helped propel record-high graduation rates of Division I athletes. The Commission’s ongoing efforts focus on governance, equity, and financial reforms, as well as providing education on the changing landscape of college sports. knightcommission.org

The Elon University Poll was established in 2000 as a public policy research initiative. The Elon University Poll conducts North Carolina and national surveys on important issues, sharing the results with media, citizens and public officials to facilitate informed public policy making through the better understanding of citizens’ opinions and attitudes. The poll is fully funded by Elon University and is a charter member of the Transparency Initiative, a program created by the American Association for Public Opinion Research. www.elon.edu/elonpoll

Contact information

Media contacts

  • Dan Anderson, special assistant to the president, Elon University, andersd@elon.edu
  • Eric Townsend, assistant vice president for strategic communications and media relations, Elon University, etownsend4@elon.edu
  • JoJo Rinebold, COO, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, jojo@rineboldresults.com

Information in this report

  • Amy Privette Perko, chief executive officer, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, perko@knightcommission.org
  • Jason Husser, director of the Elon University Poll and professor of political science and public policy, jhusser@elon.edu