Policy changes being considered by the NCAA and updated financial data will frame the reform-focused discussion among higher education leaders
WHO: The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, chaired by William E. “Brit” Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland, and R. Gerald Turner, President, Southern Methodist University, will be joined by Mark Emmert, president, NCAA; Robert Kustra, president, Boise State University; Michael Martin, chancellor, Louisiana State University; and, Tom Ross, president, University of North Carolina.
WHAT: Discussion topics will include the values guiding college sports, progress on the Commission’s prior recommendations, policy changes being considered by the NCAA, the impact of conference realignments, and whether athletes should be compensated beyond current scholarship limits. See agenda below for more information.
WHEN: Monday, Oct. 24 – 9:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. ET
Media will have an opportunity to interview and speak with presenters and Commission co-chairmen at the conclusion of the final session.
WHERE: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Salon IIIB, 1150 22nd St., NW, Washington, D.C.
A media workroom with internet access will be available in The Washington Room following the meeting.
To RSVP for the meeting, contact Katie.Lawson@widmeyer.com.
MEETING AGENDA
- 9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Public Session: An Update on Financial Trends in Academic and Athletics Spending at Division I Universities.
Presented by: Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs researchers and Knight Commission consultants.Researchers will provide updates to athletics and academic spending data for public universities in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as presented in the Commission’s “Restoring the Balance” report. For the first time, athletics and academic spending data will be presented for the non-FBS Division I public universities. Relevant financial data shaping the college sports landscape for all Division I institutions will be reviewed. - 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Public Session: Discussion with NCAA President Mark EmmertPresident Emmert will provide a summary of key policy issues being considered by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and the values guiding the NCAA’s efforts.The Commission and President Emmert will discuss the membership’s reaction to specific Knight Commission recommendations, including requiring public transparency for NCAA financial reports, implementing higher academic standards for postseason eligibility, revising the revenue distribution formula to reward academic success, and maintaining an appropriate ratio between athletics and academic spending.The session also will include a discussion about the implications of recent conference realignments, the dominant role football plays in shaping the landscape for all other college sports, the effectiveness of the current governance structure, and the debate about whether college athletes should be compensated beyond current scholarship limits.
- 10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Public Session: Presidential Viewpoints on the Future of Division I AthleticsThree university leaders will discuss their views on major challenges facing college sports; the values that should guide the future; the NCAA’s current efforts to address key policy areas; the Commission’s recommendations; and the policy actions they favor, with particular attention to the wide diversity of financial resources among Division I athletic programs.Robert W. Kustra, president, Boise State University
Michael V. Martin, chancellor, Louisiana State University
Thomas W. Ross, president, University of North Carolina
About the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
The Knight Commission 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 Commission’s goal is to promote a reform agenda that emphasizes academic values in a climate in which commercialization of college sports often overshadows the underlying goals of higher education. In June 2010, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics released its third major report, Restoring the Balance: Dollars, Values and the Future of College Sports. More information about the Commission including its prior reports can be found at www.KnightCommission.org.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation advances journalism in the digital age and invests in the vitality of communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Knight Foundation focuses on projects that promote informed and engaged communities and lead to transformational change. For more information, visit www.knightfoundation.org.