For Public Release
November 9, 2022
Media Inquiries:
Steve Delsohn: steve@delsohn.com
On Monday, December 5, 2022, at The Intercontinental, Washington, DC -The Wharf, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics will hold a public session exploring potential changes to the governance of FBS Football and the oversized impact of the sport on the NCAA and all of college sports.
Representatives from LEAD1 (the association for FBS Athletics Directors) will share results of its examination of a new governance model for FBS Football. In response to the LEAD1 examination and the pending expansion of the College Football Playoff (CFP), the Knight Commission also will discuss its own proposals to require the CFP to be accountable and transparent about its revenues. And the Commission will revisit its recommendation that independent directors be involved in governance of the FBS Football as well as its postseason, the CFP, for the first time—whether that governance is inside or outside of the NCAA.
Following the public session, the Knight Commission co-chairs and CEO will hold a press conference to discuss the growing movement for a new governance and financial model for FBS Football. The co-chairs and CEO also will discuss the Commission’s recommendations for a new and sharply different revenue distribution approach for NCAA and CFP revenues that would prioritize college athlete education, health, safety, well-being, gender and racial equity, and broad-based sports participation.
Media and others can attend the meeting and press conference, in-person or virtually, by registering here.
WHERE: The Intercontinental, Washington, DC-The Wharf, 801 Wharf Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20024
WHEN: Monday, December 5, 10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. ET (public session)
Press Conference: 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.
The press conference is open to media and others, in-person or virtually. Media will be able to ask questions of the Knight Commission leadership.
WHO:
Public session to include:
- Members of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
- Tom McMillen, President and CEO, LEAD1 Association
- Jim Senter, Vice President and Director of Athletics, University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP)
- Erianne Weight, Director, Center for Research in Intercollegiate Athletics
Press Conference to include:
- Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education, Knight Commission co-chair
- Len Elmore, attorney and former NBA player, Knight Commission co-chair
- Nancy Zimpher, Chancellor Emeritus, State University of New York, Knight Commission co-chair
- Amy Privette Perko, CEO, Knight Commission
WHAT: Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics’ public meeting
Follow @KnightAthletics for the latest developments from this meeting. Photographs available for media use and highlights from the meeting will be posted on this page following the event.
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About the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
The Knight Commission, founded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in 1989, is an independent group that leads transformational change to prioritize college athletes’ education, health, safety, and success. For more information about the Commission’s impact, recommendations, and reports, visit knightcommission.org.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit kf.org.