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College Athletic Departments Spend Three to Six Times More per Athlete Than Their Institutions Spend to Educate Each Student

The athletic departments of most public colleges and universities competing in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I sports typically spend three to six times as much per athlete as their institutions spend to educate their students, according to a new report by the Delta Cost Project at American Institutes for Research (AIR). The report,

College Football Playoff Money Includes a $300,000 Academic Incentive to Schools

The Birmingham News reported that NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision schools will each receive $300,000 annually from the new playoff format if its football team’s Academic Progress Rate score is at least 930. According to the NCAA, a 930 score indicates that the team is on track to graduate 50 percent of its players. The academic

Firing a Coach, at a Price, with Little Evidence the Move Pays Off

The New York Times reported on recent moves by colleges to spend millions to replace their football coaching staff — moves  that will result in reduced funding to academics and other sport programs. The Times reported on the decision at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville to cancel the $18 million transfer the athletics department had pledged

Knight Commission’s Recommendation to Include Academic Performance as a Part of Football Revenue Distribution Process Takes Hold

Presidents and conference commissioners overseeing the new college football playoff announced a unanimous agreement to “share revenue, for the first time in college football history, based on academic performance as part of the funding formula.” USA Today reported that 10 percent of the total playoff revenue “will be tied to teams’ Academic Performance Rates (APR).

Tulane President Scott Cowen Urges Universities to Actively Overview Athletics

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported on comments by Tulane University President Scott Cowen regarding the need for collegiate athletic reform. Cowen recently served as an adviser on an Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges-issued report calling for enhanced board oversight of college athletics. “The Knight Commission did a survey of university presidents and

Growing Impact of High Financial Stakes in College Sports Highlighted at Knight Commission Meeting

[ Sessions and audio with researchers about the role of athletics relating to institutional finances, student tuition and fees ]

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics met in Washington, D.C. to hear research reports from higher education experts and scholars that reaffirmed the need for different policy approaches and stronger board oversight in college sports.

Research findings highlighted the widening divide in college sports between the “haves” and “have-nots,” and its potential impact on institutional finances, student tuition and fees. The divide also reveals itself in votes on NCAA rules that impact athlete well-being, academic standards and “the collegiate model.”

Knight Commission Co-Founder William Friday Laments State of College Athletics

The Washington Post recently reported about their interview with William Friday, co-founder of the Knight Commission and former President of the University System of North Carolina. “William Friday has seen the best and worst of college sports in a lifetime devoted to higher education. But at 92, he never thought he would live to see

Knight Commission Meeting on Oct. 9 to Present Latest Research on College Sports

Issues of financial sustainability and accountability in intercollegiate athletics will frame 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 Rick Legon, president, Association of Governing Boards of

LSU Athletics Directs Portion of Revenue to Academics Endeavors

The Louisiana Business Report published an article about an agreement by the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors that will send at least $36 million of athletics department revenue to academic endeavors over the next five years. The report included comments by Knight Commission Executive Director Amy Perko, who said “the deal appears to be