UI senate approves nominees for athletic board

Ethan Simmons, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
·3 min read

Mar. 7—URBANA — Candidates for the 2023-24 athletic board are up for appointment by Chancellor Robert Jones after receiving the approval of the University of Illinois senate.

The athletic board — made up of two faculty reps to the Big Ten, seven more faculty members, four UI alumni, three students and three ex officio members — advises the chancellor and athletic director on the operations of the UI's athletic program.

Four faculty members and four students are eligible for appointment; two faculty members will serve four-year terms, and two students will serve one-year terms.

Here are the candidates, with quoted excerpts from their own statements of interest.

Courtney Cox, assistant professor of media and cinema studies:

* A former employee of ESPN and the Los Angeles Sparks, Cox is writing a book on identity in the WNBA called "Double Crossover: Gender, Politics, and Performance in Basketball."

"Professor Cox's research related to the welfare of professional athletes increasingly overlaps with the interests of student-athletes," Cox wrote.

* Now an attorney and shareholder in Meyer Capel's business and real-estate practice groups, Green is a former Division III athlete. He is the faculty coach for the law school's NFL and NBA contract negotiation teams.

"He advises a minority-owned sports equipment and apparel company founded by a former teammate and has been involved in negotiating and preparing professional athlete endorsement contracts," Green wrote. "He is also very interested in the evolution of NIL in amateur athletics."

Linda Moorhouse, professor of music in the College of Fine and Applied Arts:

* Moorhouse has chaired the senate committee on educational policy.

Before joining the UI's music program in 2010, she was on the Louisiana State University faculty for more than 20 years. Under her direction, the LSU Tiger Band won the Sudler Trophy and the 2008 ESPN "Battle of the Bands."

"I also work with members of the provost's office, registrar's office and other entities across campus which all work together for the success of our students," Moorhouse wrote.

Sterling Raskie, senior lecturer of finance in the Gies College of Business:

* Raskie teaches several financial courses, having joined Gies as an instructor in 2016.

"As a lecturer, he has the opportunity to work with athletes every semester in order to help them balance their athletic and academic goals," Raskie wrote. "Via his wealth management class, he has helped athletes construct a solid financial path after graduation."

Caitlin Clarke, teaching assistant professor in the College of Applied Health Sciences:

* Clarke is up for reappointment as the board's Academic Progress and Eligibility Chair.

Of four student nominees, one has served a term on the athletic board. Two will be selected for 2023-24.

Carson Bounds, undergraduate in the College of Applied Health Sciences:

* Bounds has worked as a student video manager for the football and women's basketball teams.

Sarah Benevento, doctoral student in the Department of Communication:

* Benevento is a former Division I student-athlete.

Nick Erickson, undergraduate in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences:

* Erickson is a practice player and manager for the Illinois women's basketball team and former student-athlete.

Leonardo Jimenez, undergraduate in the Gies College of Business: Jimenez is up for a one-year reappointment after serving his first term in 2022-23.