Former Alfred State athletic communications student assistant Elijah Adams was selected as the 2026 Bill Esposito Memorial Award winner by the Eastern Athletic Communications Association (EAST-COMM).

The Bill Esposito Award is presented to a graduating college senior who wishes to pursue a career in athletic communications. The Award is named to honor the memory of one of the true patriarchs of the sports information profession. Bill Esposito served as the Sports Information Director at St. John's University in New York for 25 years.

Esposito served as a past-President of ECAC-SIDA in 1972-73 and was the organization's Irving Marsh Award recipient in 1973. He was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 1984. He passed away in 1995.

"As a faculty member and former sports information director, I have no doubt Elijah will become a key contributing member to our industry," said Brandon Harris, Associate Professor of Business at Alfred State. " From the second he stepped on campus you could tell the air surrounding this student was different. He has been a nearly full-time member in our athletic communications office for years."

Adams earned his undergraduate degree in sport management from Alfred State in May 2026. As a student assistant, he supported game-day operations, including the Alfred State Sports Network. He trained and assisted fellow student workers, wrote event recaps, and updated official record books on the athletics website. He also served as the primary media contact for the women's soccer team.

Adams earned the Pioneer Student Service Award which is given to students who go above and beyond to support the Athletics Department throughout their time as a Pioneer.  During his final semester, he completed an internship with the athletic communication office and was awarded the Exceptional Saxon Award given to individuals that go above and beyond in support and service to Alfred State athletics.

A native of the Bronx, N.Y., he was a State University of New York (SUNY) Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Student Ambassador, and Peer Leader at Alfred State who was one of 49 SUNY EOP students honored with the Norman R. McConney, Jr. Award for Student Excellence. He also attended the 2025 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Convention in Orlando as part of the Division III CSC Student Program.

Adams will be honored at the 2026 EAST-COMM Awards Banquet on Thursday, June 18 during the organization's annual workshop in Williamsport, Pennsylvania at the Genetti Hotel.

Let's get to know 2026 Bill Esposito Memorial Award recipient, Elijah Adams.

EAST-COMM: How and why did you get involved in athletic communications?

ELIJAH ADAMS: I got into Sports Information through a mandatory class called field experience for the sport management major at Alfred State. I received class credit for helping at our athletic home events. As time went on and I was assigned different tasks, I slowly started to realize my enjoyment of the work.

EC: What are some things you really enjoy about athletic communications?

EA: I enjoy how spontaneous athletic communications can be. There can be a span of weeks where no day looks like the rest. There is always something to do, and it never feels monotonous. Additionally, I enjoy the interactions with student-athletes as they all have different stories and personalities. With Sports Information, even the boring or tedious tasks can be interesting.

EC: Who are your mentors in the athletic communications and why?

EA: My mentor athletic communications are Will Rollison, Chris Boswell, and Devon Withers. Will played a huge role in why I'm even in the field to begin with. He saw that I was always willing to help and decided to offer me a job and teach me what the role encompasses. He always took the time out to teach me something new and set me up to find my footing in the industry. Boswell also did the same. I only spent a semester under him and hence put so much time and energy into growing my skills as a sports communicator. With over a decade of experience, he never failed to teach me something new every day, even if it was just simple life lessons. His assistant Devon was the same way. Devon taught me a lot about work-life balance, and how to grind. 

EC: How did you balance school and work?

EA: I balanced school and work by making sure to stay organized. I always used prioritization throughout my days. I finished my class work weeks in advanced to prepare for whatever the athletic calendar might throw at us. Most importantly, I always woke up early and subscribed to the athletics calendar.

EC: What advice would you give to others wanting to work in athletic communications?

EA: Advice I would give is build relationships. With both staff members and the student-athletes. It helps put so much more meaning behind the work and guides you to do your job more effectively. Additionally, I would tell anyone looking to work in athletic communications to always ask questions.

EC: What are some things athletic communications has taught you?

EA: Athletic communications has taught me about work-life balance and the importance of having meaning behind what you do. In a role that requires a lot of your time and energy on a consistent basis, it is a lot easier to be through it when you have a strong reason to do it. Even when I was tired or had non-work related issues going on, I was able to still do my job at an effective level because I had meaning behind it.

EC: What are some things you wish you would have known earlier?