Jennifer Strawley joined Elon University as Director of Athletics on August 1, 2023, bringing a proven record of championship-caliber leadership, academic excellence, national leadership and program building to the Phoenix. Under her direction, Elon Athletics has entered one of the most transformative periods in program history.
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12
CAA Titles Since 2023 |
3.44
School-Record GPA |
$3.3M
Annual Fund Raised In 2025-26
80% Increase From 5 Years Prior |
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CHAMPIONSHIPS WON UNDER STRAWLEY'S LEADERSHIP
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2025-26 (7 titles)
Elon's most championships in a single academic year & the most by a CAA institution since Elon joined the conference
Women's Cross Country, Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis, Indoor Track & Field, Outdoor Track & Field
2024-25 (4 titles)
Men's Golf, Softball, Outdoor Track & Field, Women's Tennis
2023-24 (1 title)
Women's Cross Country
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Phoenix Rising
» Developed and is implementing Elon Athletics' five-year strategic vision, setting the standard and direction for the department's future. The plan was approved by the Elon Board of Trustrees in October of 2025.Â
Brand Alignment
» Finalizing a comprehensive rebrand of Elon Athletics to align visually and strategically with the broader University identity.
Campus Partnerships
» Built and strengthened cross-campus partnerships connecting athletics to Elon's broader institutional mission.
Financial Sustainability
» Increased revenue from multiple sources
» Negotiated and extended Elon's multimedia rights partnership with Learfield
» Prioritized spending to meet Elon's Vision & Plan
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Record GPA
» Elon student-athletes posted a 3.44 department GPA in 2025-26, the highest single-semester GPA in program history.
Across The Board
» Every varsity team finished the 2026 spring semester with a GPA above 3.0.
Dean's & President's Lists
» 180 student-athletes earned academic honors in 2025-26.
Sustained Standard
» Elon has ranked in the top three of the CAA in both GSR and APR for five consecutive years.
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Fundraising Growth
» Elon Athletics has raised more money in the last two years than at any other point in program history.
Annual Fund
» Exceed $3M in 2025-26, an 80% increase over a five-year period.
Total Production
» Exceed $5M in total fundraising production the last two years.
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The Holland House
» Opened a
transformational golf facility for Elon's men's and women's golf programs.
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New Head Coach Hires In Volleyball, Men's Tennis, Women's Golf
» Matt Troy (Volleyball)
» Maciek Sykut (Men's Tennis)
» Susan Rosenstiel (Women's Golf)
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Prior to Elon, Strawley served as Senior Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of Miami, where she oversaw the day-to-day operations of the department. As the department's second-in-command, she partnered with the Director of Athletics, University leadership, and campus and community stakeholders to advance the success of Miami Athletics across all 17 of its varsity programs.
Strawley served as Interim Director of Athletics, in November of 2021. She also served as sport administrator for football and women's basketball and held the role of Senior Woman Administrator for the department.
During her time at Miami, Strawley played a key role in the hiring of multiple head coaches. She transformed and improved many aspects of Miami athletics, including creating a performance, health and wellness department, enhancing competitive success, improving facilities, ensuring academic achievement, increasing fundraising, developing Miami’s Celebration of Women’s Athletics and implementing many priorities to enhance the student-athlete experience. In 2021, Strawley was named the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Administrator of the Year.
Strawley has been a national leader in college athletics, serving on various committees within the NCAA and the ACC, including the NCAA Strategic Vision Committee, the NCAA Women's Basketball Oversight Committee, the NCAA Championships Finance Review Working Group, the NCAA Football Recruiting Working Group and the NCAA Men's Basketball Non-Scholastic Working Group. In addition, Strawley has served on the ACC Board of Directors as the chair of the ACC Senior Woman Administrator group, the ACC Television Committee, the ACC Equity Committee, the ACC Infractions and Sportsmanship Review Committee and the ACC Football Schedulers Group. She has also served on the Board of Directors for Women's Leaders in College Sports and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
Prior to her time at Miami, Strawley worked for the NCAA as the Director of Academic and Membership Affairs. In this role, she oversaw academic policy and governance issues, academic education, and the internal inclusion team. She began her career at the NCAA managing student-athlete reinstatement and eligibility, and serving as a liaison to multiple committees within the NCAA governance structure.
Between her two stints at the NCAA, Strawley worked at Columbia University, where she was the Associate Athletics Director for Intercollegiate Sports Programs and the Senior Woman Administrator, holding sport supervision responsibilities and providing oversight for Title IX and gender equity issues, among other duties.
Strawley began her career as part of the postgraduate internship program at the NCAA.Â
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» University of Pennsylvania, 1998
» Four-Year Letterwinner: Competed for four years on the Penn softball team
» Team Captain: Served as team captain during the 1997 & 1998 seasons
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Jennifer is married to Jeanne MacPherson, and the couple resides in Elon, North Carolina, with their dog, Ziggie.
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