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Underdog U: Sports and Money at Brown

The Brown Daily Herald published a series investigating the spending for intercollegiate athletics at Brown University with respect to other Ivy League institutions. A committee composed of administrators, two coaches, two student athletes and a faculty member were charged with cutting the already-limited athletics department budget. In May, the committee will inform President Ruth Simmons

Court Time v. Class Time: The NCAA Needs to Boost Academics in Big-Time College Sports

An editorial published by the Houston Chronicle endorsed many of the Knight Commission’s recommendations issued in the Restoring the Balance report, and also cited the recent concerns expressed by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan about the poor academic performances by many men’s basketball teams. The editorial was published on Sunday, April 3, 2011, during

Perko Interviewed by KCBS Radio on Minimum Academic Benchmarks for Men’s Basketball Teams

KCBS-Radio in San Francisco interviewed Amy Perko, Executive Director of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, about the Knight Commission’s March 2011 analysis. The analysis provided data to support the Commission’s call for the NCAA to reward Division I men’s basketball teams for postseason performance only if they meet minimum academic benchmarks. Access the interview

U.S. Secretary of Education Backs Knight Commission’s Call for Changing NCAA Basketball Tournament Eligibility Standards and Financial Rewards

New analysis shows basketball teams not meeting minimal academic benchmarks have earned nearly $179 million* for NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament success Highlights: 10 of 68 men’s basketball teams that competed in the 2011 “March Madness” would be ineligible under the benchmark recommended by the Knight Commission and backed by Secretary Duncan. Of the $409 million

NCAA Needs More Control Over the Bowl System

The New York Times published an article about the need for the NCAA to have greater control over the Division I football bowl system in order to reduce inappropriate expenses by the non-profit organizations which direct the postseason games. The article noted a recent investigation by the Times in to the Fiesta Bowl, which detailed

One Way to Save Money? Cap Athletics Subsidies

The Washington Post recently identified capping athletics subsidies as one of eight ways to get higher education in better shape.  The article cites Knight Commission data and quotes Commission co-chairman William “Brit” Kirwan, Chancellor of the University System of Maryland: “7. Cap athletic subsidies Intercollegiate athletics undoubtedly add to the collegiate experience. But how much,

A Game Change: Paying for Big-Time College Sports

The following article by Karen Weaver was published in Change magazine in its January-February 2011 issue. Weaver is the director of athletics, intramurals, and recreation at Penn State Abington. The complete article can be accessed here. “College presidents often think of athletics as the “front porch” of their campuses. After all, name recognition goes a

Reform the NCAA? Group’s New President Has His Hands Full

In an article published by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, columnist Rachel Blount points out that while the NCAA may need to reign in athletic eligbility rules that recently allowed several high profile student-athletes to compete in football bowl games, it should consider tackling’ issues “farther up the ladder, on the influences that are really corrupting

College Coaches’ Salaries Continue to Soar

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published an article about the rising compensation for football and men’s basketball coaches in the NCAA’s most competitive division, Division I. The salaries are growing at a rate that far surpasses salaries for academic administrators and professors. The salaries are also growing at rates faster than the revenues pulled in by athletic