Endorsements
The Knight Commission’s report, “Transforming the D-I Model: Recommendations for Change,” is winning over important voices among Division I stakeholders, including:
Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA)
Published May 6, 2022
The Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA) released a statement of support for the goals of the proposed “C.A.R.E. Model of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, which serves to Connect Athletics Revenues with the Educational Model of College Sports.” COIA is an organization representing the elected faculty governance bodies of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I universities in activities related to the administration and governance of intercollegiate athletics.
Former NCAA Executive VP Oliver Luck
Video interview with LEAD1 on February 22, 2022
On a LEAD1 podcast with Lead1 Association CEO Tom McMillen, former NCAA Executive VP, Oliver Luck, discusses the future of college sports and the College Football Playoff, saying:
“ …‘It could be that there is a different governance group that governs, for example, FBS football… That’s the general concept of what the Knight Commission has put out… I think it makes sense.’ …”
FBS Stakeholders
athleticdirectoru.com
Published May 2021
As published by Athletic Director U, “College Athletic Leaders Want Independent Football Oversight” highlights FBS stakeholders’ endorsement of the Knight Commission’s “Transforming the D1 Model” proposal.
“Despite public pushback from Emmert, Sankey and others [to the Knight Commission’s recommendations], data compiled by Qualtrics, Eventellect, Learfield IMG College, Winthrop Intelligence — as well as a survey of over 100 FBS stakeholders — tells a different story: namely, that establishing a centralized governance model for [the sport of] FBS [football] not only makes business sense, it’s also a popular idea among FBS administrators behind closed doors.”
Big West Conference
bigwest.org
Letter dated January 20, 2021
The Big West Conference Board of Directors endorsed the Knight Commission proposals to reform Division I sports — including creating a separate entity for the sport of FBS football — in a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert. The conference wrote that it “sees the need for transformative, not incremental, changes in NCAA organizational structure and revenue distribution.”
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
maacsports.com
Letter dated January 6, 2021
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Council of Presidents, in a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert, expressed support for the Commission’s proposal for a new Division I governance model. “The MAAC Presidents agree that bold change is needed in the current fragmented governance of Division I athletics,” the Council wrote. The letter also states that the “Knight Commission’s heavily researched report correctly identifies the problems and recommends solutions to address those problems in ways that will improve Division I college sports for all NCAA Division I sports and universities.”