Sport Management

Through a new partnership with Pistoia Basket, a top professional basketball organization in Italy, and the Accademia Europea di Firenze, Elon students will explore the intersection of sport, culture and education.

Lily Barker ’25, a sport management major and former women’s volleyball player, collaborated with Assistant Professor Alex Traugutt on a study published in the Journal of Amateur Sport exploring what influences NCAA Division I volleyball match attendance. Their findings highlight the key roles of scheduling, opponent quality, and promotional efforts in attracting fans to games.

As part of its 25th anniversary celebration during Homecoming Weekend, the School of Communications honored Wilson for her accomplishments as a showrunner and writer in Hollywood. The milestone event also reflected on the school’s transformation over 25 years – from its early beginnings to a nationally respected program known for producing industry-ready graduates.

The strategic communications and sport management double major impacted the NHL team with an idea that benefited fans.

The Elon alumnus’ passion for “America’s pastime” and flair for storytelling have made him one of the brightest rising voices in professional baseball.

The 2025 Sport Management Internship Forum, held Sept. 29 in Turner Theatre, brought together Elon students to share their summer experiences with organizations across the sport industry, from NBC Universal to the New York Islanders.

The new course, offered by Associate Teaching Professor of Communication Design Randy Piland, blends hands-on projects and flight simulations with discussions about ethics, privacy and the broader impact of drone use.

The assistant professor of sport management explores how the International Volleyball Federation enforced decades of sex testing after the 1972 Olympics – finding no fraud yet reinforcing rigid gender norms that shape current debates on fairness and inclusion.

The Army West Point Athletics staff member – and former sport management major – collaborated with School of Communications faculty members Young Do Kim and Cara Lucia to offer marketing-based strategies, case challenges, and teaching resources to help sports-related organizations meet evolving audience expectations.

The new assistant professor of sport management brings extensive experience as an author, researcher and former department chair.