Releases and Statements

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Knight Commission to Release Financial Reform Recommendations for College Sports

Commission releases its third major report in 20-year history, noting pivotal moment in curbing unsustainable growth in athletics spending Who: Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Co-Chairmen William E. “Brit” Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland, and R. Gerald Turner, President, Southern Methodist University, and Commission member Carol Cartwright, President, Bowling Green State University, will be…

Knight Commission Executive Director Amy Perko Responds to a USA Today News Report

“The Knight Commission believes that the issue of college sports finances is serious and systemic, requires collaborative solutions, and cannot be solved by one university president alone. The escalation in coaches’ salaries nationally has made it difficult for any one university to opt out. The Commission owes its effectiveness to the involvement of higher education…

Kirwan and Turner Comment on Mark Emmert Named New NCAA President

For Immediate Release:  April 27, 2010 Statement from William E. Kirwan and R. Gerald Turner, Co-Chairmen, Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics We would like to extend our congratulations to Mark Emmert on being named NCAA President. We look forward to working with President Emmert to promote our shared visions that college sports programs can and…

NCAA Media Rights Deal: Time to Better Manage Commercial Success

In response to the NCAA’s new 14-year, $10.86 billion agreement with CBS and Turner Broadcasting System to broadcast the Division I men’s basketball tournament, Knight Commission co-chairmen R. Gerald Turner, President of Southern Methodist University, and William “Brit” Kirwan, Chancellor of the University System of Maryland, provided a comment: “Today’s announcement of the new NCAA…

William E. Kirwan Honored with TIAA-CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award

Below is a press release from the TIAA-CREF Instittute: New York, March 8, 2010 — The TIAA-CREF Institute is pleased to announce William E. (Brit) Kirwan, Chancellor of the University System of Maryland, as winner of the 2010 TIAA-CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence. This award recognizes leadership and commitment to higher education…

Knight Commission to Press for Fiscal Change at NCAA Scholarly Colloquium

On January 12, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics will encourage the NCAA to address the financial crisis in college sports in a presentation at the NCAA Scholarly Colloquium on Intercollegiate Athletics. The Commission will discuss the recent survey of NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member presidents about the state of affairs in…

Playoffs Not the Answer to College Football’s Financial Crisis

This opinion by Knight Commission co-chairs, William “Brit” Kirwan and R. Gerald Turner, was published in the December 19, 2009, edition of the Washington Post. The college football bowl season begins today, with 34 games scheduled from Dec. 19 to Jan. 7. We expect to hear renewed calls from journalists, fans and politicians for a…

First of Its Kind Survey Reveals Dilemma of Reform

[ Sessions and video on presidential survey; experts on educational values and commercial landscape of college sports ]

The Knight Commission released the results of a presidential survey on the costs and benefits of intercollegiate athletics. An interactive, Web-based report, College Sports 101, that provides an overview of the business and economic landscape of college sports was also released. Potential solutions as well as an assessment of whether the current structure is equipped to address the mounting challenges were discussed with experts.

Knight Commission Urges College Leaders to Consider Bold, Innovative Solutions to Address Fiscal Health of College Sports

[ Sessions and audio with experts on college sports finances; sport participation; and tax-exempt status of college sports ]

The financial crisis in college sports isn’t attributable only to the ongoing recession, but also to declining athletics revenues unable to keep up with a runaway train of spending. That’s what members of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics heard from scholars and experts on higher education and intercollegiate sports.

Knight Commission Calls for Collective Action on Spending

From the NCAA News: Members of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics called for NCAA presidents and chancellors to take “collective action” to moderate rates in the growth of athletics spending that have outpaced those in higher education overall (for full article, link here) May 12, 2009 – Knight Commission Meeting Press Release, Audio Podcasts,…