Hosted by the Department of Sport Management, the annual Sport Management Symposium – held in Turner Theatre – will bring together students and industry leaders for an in-depth look at how broadcast, streaming and technology are reshaping live sports.
Award-winning sports writer and broadcaster Seth Davis will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2026 Sport Management Symposium, bringing his nationally recognized voice and deep experience in sports media to campus for a featured conversation on the future of live sports coverage.
The symposium will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 4:15 to 6:30 p.m. in Turner Theatre and will examine how live sports continue to evolve across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms – and what those changes mean for leagues, networks and fans. 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.
A longtime fixture on CBS Sports’ studio coverage of college basketball and the NCAA Tournament, Davis is one of the most visible and influential figures in sports media today. He is also the founder of Hoops HQ, a digital media company focused on college basketball, and currently serves as managing editor for college basketball at The Athletic. Across television, print and digital platforms, Davis has spent decades shaping national conversations about sports and media.
The keynote will be presented as a live conversation with Bill Squadron, assistant professor of sport management.
“Seth Davis has had a front-row seat to nearly every major shift in sports media over the last two decades,” Squadron said. “From linear television to streaming to direct-to-consumer models, he understands both the business and the storytelling side of the industry. Having him on campus gives our students a rare opportunity to hear directly from someone who is helping define where live sports media is headed.”
Two expert panels will follow the keynote discussion.
The first panel, “League TV Rights Strategy in a Shifting Media Landscape,” will explore how leagues and rightsholders are navigating increasingly complex media arrangements. Panelists include Tyler McBride of the Atlantic Coast Conference, sports media consultant John Kosner, and Sports Business Journal reporter Austin Karp, whose collective experience spans pro and college media strategies, the digital transformation and coverage of major rights deals across television and streaming platforms.
The second panel, “Tech Companies, Streaming and Sports Content,” will focus on the growing role of social media and technology companies in shaping sports distribution and fan engagement. Participants include former Amazon Prime Video sports strategy executive Michael Morris, media executive and journalist Michele Steele, and Alex Day ’16, an Elon alumnus who has emerged as a prominent voice in New York sports media. Day, who built a large following through digital-first content and now works with outlets including the YES Network, represents a new generation of sports broadcasters building careers across social, streaming and traditional platforms.
Hosted by Elon University’s Department of Sport Management, the annual symposium connects students with industry leaders to examine real-world trends shaping sports, media and fan engagement. Past keynote speakers have included ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, former NASCAR President Steve Phelps, and former NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith.