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The National Collegiate Athletic Association and the major athletic conferences agreed upon a historic $2.8 billion settlement of three federal antitrust cases May 23, paving the way for student-athletes to be paid directly. The NCAA and the Power Five conferences — otherwise known as the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference and Southeastern Conference — have agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit by former college athletes. The NCAA and its conferences within Division I will pay $2.8 billion in damages over 10 years to both former and current athletes. They also agreed to a revenue-sharing plan, which allows each Power Five school to share up to roughly $20 million per year with its athletes...
Photo by Erin Martin
When recalling his favorite memory of playing for Elon University Men’s Tennis Coach, Michael Leonard, senior Ben Zipay gave an unexpected answer. His favorite memory of Leonard, who is retiring after 20 years of coaching at Elon following the 2024 season, was actually during a 2022 match he lost. “I was playing this guy from Miami University who was just destroying me,” Zipay said. “In my mind, I'm like, ‘This guy's just better than me.’’’ However, Leonard would refuse to allow Zipay to go out like that. He came onto the court where Zipay was trying to hold off the superior opponent, and despite the match seemingly out of reach, Leonard stayed with Zipay for the whole match, giving him advice the entire time...
Photo by Miles Hayford
As a private institution, specifics about Elon University’s athletic budget aren’t public; However, the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act — passed in 1994 — requires universities and colleges to make gender equity information about their athletic programs available. This is to give prospective students a chance to judge a school’s ability to have equitable opportunities for both its male and female student-athletes. As a result of this, it is possible to analyze Elon’s athletic budget from a broad perspective. According to Elon professor of sport management Alex Traugutt, Elon’s athletic budget is in a good place right now due to their spending and return on investment. “Spending and our ROI seems to be on par with what other institutions at this kind of level do. There isn't anything that when I look at it, I think to myself, ‘Boy, we're doing something wrong here,’’’ Traugutt said...
Elon University men’s basketball team defeated Presbyterian College 82-79 with the help of a buzzer-beater victory at Schar Center on Nov. 27. The heroic win was a statement win for Elon, defeating a previously 5-2 Blue Hose squad that already had a win over Vanderbilt under its belt. The Phoenix seemed to get off to a rough start, squandering their opening possession by turning it over and going on a 0-7 scoring drought in the opening minutes of the game...
Photo by Joseph Navin
Photo by Jack Prahinski
Invicta Water, a private water treatment company, is working to remove PFAS from water sources along with the help of Elon students. Elon and its surrounding area has recently faced multiple chemical leaks into nearby water sources such as the Haw River. Additionally, drinking water in the Alamance County area has PFAS levels higher than the Environmental Protection Agency recommends...
Photo by Joseph Navin
Voting for North Carolina’s governor position within the primary elections will conclude on March 5.
Vying for the nomination on the Republican ticket is current Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State Treasurer Dale Folwell and Salisbury Attorney Bill Graham. The Democratic side features Attorney General Josh Stein, North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan, Tryon Mayor Pro Tempore Chrelle Booker, Lumberton Attorney Marcus Williams and Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office Reserve Deputy Gary Foxx. There are also two Libertarian candidates running for North Carolina governor, tech entrepreneur Shannon Bray and businessman Mike Ross.
Despite this crowded field, Robinson and Stein are the clear front-runners and are already preparing for the intense general election that is ahead, according to Duke University professor of public policy Mac McCorkle...
Two years ago, then freshman Kai Whiteside was the only student skateboarding through Medallion Plaza. Now, after the creation of Elon Wheels, Whiteside is at the forefront of a growing skateboarding community that is working to create Alamance County’s first public skate park. Elon Wheels has come a long way from the days of receiving hate comments about their skateboarding habits on the social media app Fizz. According to Whiteside, the organization used to receive comments like “the skaters need to get out of here” or “they’re annoying”. However, Whiteside said that those comments have started to disappear as the skateboarding community has grown...
Photo by Joseph Navin
Photo by Miles Hayford
Starting in March, sports wagering in North Carolina will be undergoing a historic transformation. After being signed into law in June 2023 by Gov. Roy Cooper, House Bill 347 will be put into effect on March 11, and online sports betting will be legal for those 21 and older in the state for the first time ever. After almost 40 states legalized online sports betting, North Carolina has joined the rest of the country. Sport management professor David Bockino said he always expected for the state to eventually legalize sports betting. “Seeing the success of how much money it’s bringing in for other states, I think we always knew that it was going to happen,” he said...
Photo by Erin Martin
The town of Elon is currently facing a vacancy crisis among their staff. Vacancies have affected every corner of the town’s staff. The town currently has vacancies at the positions of town planner in the developmental services department, recreation and parks director, and a position in human resources. Town clerk is also vacant, but will have someone filling the spot on March 4.However, the department that has felt these vacancies the most is the police department. Elon’s police department currently has two vacant positions. The department has had the highest level of turnover over the course of this past year, and is the hardest one to find candidates for, according to Town Manager Rich Roedner...
Photo by Erin Martin
North Carolina lawmakers overrode Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act with the power of the Republican supermajority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The new law went into effect at the start of the academic year and bans “students of the male sex” from playing on all “athletic teams designated for females, women or girls.” This includes teams at the middle school, high school, intramural and collegiate level...
Photo by Erin Martin
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Why Go To Florida? | The Communications Fellows Florida Trip ‘24
A perk of being an Elon University Communications Fellow is that I was given the opportunity to go to Florida for 10 days in my freshman year to visit various communications businesses and network along the way. Afterwards, two of my classmates and I created a video advertisement as a conclusion of the trip. We centered our advertisement’s campaign around the contrast between business and entertainment in Florida. Through our advertisement, we attempted to convince the audience that Florida was the perfect place to be for a communications professional due to the unique environment that thrives in both professional and fun settings.
