WASHINGTON, D.C. In 2001, a decade after its initial meetings, the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics released its groundbreaking A Call to Action detailing key steps needed to reform college athletics. The Commission continues to monitor the intense commercial and professional pressures affecting college sports, serving as a reminder of the higher education role sports plays in college life. Commission members are meeting to address a range of issues, including the financing of college athletics, the impact of television contracts on college sports and the status of the Bowl Championship Series. The Commission also announced several new members, including former University of Maryland college basketball star Len Elmore; Dr. Elson Floyd, president of the University of Missouri; Dr. Steve Sample, president of the University of Southern California; and Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan.
About the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics was formed by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in October 1989 in response to more than a decade of highly visible scandals in college sports. The goal of the Commission was to study and report on reform efforts that recognize and emphasize academic values in an arena where commercialization of college sports often overshadowed the underlying goals of higher education. The Commission, which presented a series of recommendations in a 1991 report, and A Call to Action in 2001, will continue to monitor and report on progress in increasing presidential control, academic integrity, financial integrity and independent certification of athletics programs.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities.
Media Notes: For more information, to RSVP, arrange interviews, or receive advance press materials, including a copy of the Commission’s 2001 A Call To Action, please contact Jennifer Norwood at 202-414-0786.