Releases and Statements

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Knight Commission Releases Guidelines and Considerations for Decisions to Reopen College Sports

The Knight Commission appreciates the gravity, urgency and uncertainty of decisions about how to reopen college sports, and recognizes that reopening college sports programs is an important leading indicator of the broader national crisis gripping higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decisions that college leaders make about whether to bring athletes back to campus and engage in training and competition should not be made in isolation but rather should go hand in hand with decisions about returning other students to dorms, classrooms and dining halls. Maintaining the safety and health of college athletes is just as vital as maintaining the safety and health of all students, faculty, staff and university administrators.

Knight Commission’s June 4 Video and Webinar Kit

On June 4, 2020, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics held a webinar to assess the NCAA’s proposal allowing college athletes to earn money for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) and to evaluate key differences with recommendations made by other groups. The session focused on issues such as compliance with fair market value, the confusion around group endorsement opportunities and ways to achieve uniformity, either through Congress or the Uniform Law Commission. The expert panel included Congressman Anthony Gonzalez, who is working on an NIL bill, Val Ackerman, Gabe Feldman and Tom McMillen.

Knight Commission Examining Major Restructuring of College Sports

For Public Release Dec. 16, 2019 The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, a leading voice for college sports reform, informed NCAA President Mark Emmert today that it will examine new models to restructure college sports, citing the challenges created by the “highly commercialized environment” for Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) football and some NCAA Division I…

To speed reform, Knight Commission calls for more transparency in college basketball

For Public Release May 22, 2019 Photos are available here. Videos are available here.   Agenda and list of meeting participants available here. WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics today discussed a series of recent reforms made in response to the men’s college basketball scandal and urged the NCAA to continue efforts to…

Knight Commission Unveils New College Sports Financial Database

For Release:  March 7, 2019 Revamped data tool provides innovative look at how NCAA Division I institutions make and spend money in college sports Washington, D.C. — In an effort to inject more financial transparency into college sports, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics has unveiled a revamped and innovative College Athletics Financial Information (CAFI)…

Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Statement on NCAA Action to Add Independent Directors to the NCAA Board of Governors

The Knight Commission applauds the vote by NCAA member colleges and universities to add five independent directors to the NCAA’s highest governing board. The Commission first recommended in 2013 that the NCAA take this step, and it reiterated and expanded this recommendation last year in response to the men’s basketball scandal – urging that both…

The Legacy and Lessons of the Godmother of Title IX

On January 5, Bernice Resnick Sandler, known as the godmother of Title IX, died at the age of 90. Knight Commission co-chairs Arne Duncan and Carol Cartwright honor her legacy and highlight the lessons college sports reformers can learn from her tireless efforts in this January 14 tribute on ESPNw.com: The legacy and lessons of…

Knight Commission Urges Financial Transparency of Shoe and Apparel Income and Certified Training for Coaches

For Public Release Oct. 29, 2018 Photos available.  Videos and presentation materials available. Agenda and list of meeting participants available here. Washington, D.C. — In the wake of last week’s felony convictions for pay-to-play college basketball schemes, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics today pressed the NCAA to establish more demanding standards for oversight, including…