Releases and Statements

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Knight Commission Sees Integrity of College Sports at Risk

[ Sessions and video with NCAA President Mark Emmert; experts on college football and health and safety benefits and protections ]

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics said today that recent college sports scandals have threatened not only the integrity of intercollegiate athletics but raised basic questions about the NCAA’s ability to prevent abuses, protect the rights of athletes and clean up corruption. At today’s fall meeting, NCAA President Mark Emmert told the Knight Commission, “We cannot go into the next basketball season without seeing fundamental change in the way college basketball is operating.”

Supplemental Background Documents Provided by Panelists

Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics: Public Meeting Agenda (Holeman Lounge) Video (session 1) Figures produced by Knight Commission of College Football Playoff 8:45 – 10:30 a.m. The Future of College Football: A Focus on Finances and Player Benefits and Protections Bob Bowlsby, commissioner, Big 12 Conference; chair, NCAA Football Oversight Committee Judy MacLeod, commissioner, Conference…

Knight Commission Calls for Change in College Football Playoff Revenues to Address National Challenges Facing the Sport

[ Sessions and video with experts on football finances and benefits for players; and leadership diversity in football and basketball ]

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics called for the College Football Playoff to invest some of its revenue for the first time in national initiatives supporting the health and safety of football players and in programs to increase diversity among football coaches. In addition, the Commission urged the College Football Playoff to follow the NCAA’s lead in adding current or former student-athletes to its board of managers.

May 1 Meeting – Racial and Gender Diversity of Division I Football and Men’s and Women’s Basketball

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics called for the College Football Playoff to invest some of its revenue for the first time in national initiatives supporting the health and safety of football players and in programs to increase diversity among football coaches. In addition, the Commission urged the College Football Playoff to follow the NCAA’s lead in adding current or former student-athletes to its board of managers.

Speed Up the Glacial Pace of NCAA Reform

By William E. (Brit) Kirwan and Arne Duncan. Published in the Chronicle of Higher Education. A report from the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics 15 years ago urged the NCAA to reduce time demands on college athletes and reward schools not just for their athletic performance but for meeting academic expectations. Many sports reporters, NCAA…

Knight Commission Applauds New NCAA Policy to Reward Schools for Meeting Academic Expectations

Related link: Financial Incentives Tied to Academic Success (Illustration created in 2020 to describe changes) The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics applauded the NCAA today for passing a groundbreaking new policy that will, for the first time, financially reward colleges and universities that meet academic expectations for sports teams and athletes. The policy approved Thursday…

Closing a Chapter in His ‘Never-Ending Mission’

The Washington Post published an article on October 24, 2016, about Knight Commission chairman William ‘Brit’ Kirwan, who is stepping down from the leadership post at the end of 2016. LINK HERE to read “Closing a chapter in his ‘never-ending mission’”