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Knight Commission Calls for College Sports Reform, Recommends Public Transparency of Finances and New Financial Incentives

“Restoring the Balance: Dollars, Values, and the Future of College Sports” Reveals Huge Disparities between Spending on Athletics and Academics Washington-(June 17, 2010) — Following an 18- month study of college sports finances, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics released today a report that calls for financial reforms in college sports. It includes three principles…

Power Schools Call the Tune in This Latest Grab for Cash

On June 12, the Minneapolis Star Tribune published an article noting the timely impact of the upcoming Knight Commission report about the finances of college sports, particularly in relation to the recent decision by instituions to jump from one conference to the next. The commentary, from Rachel Blount, stated: “Following the conference expansion saga has…

Horizon Commissioner Defends League

Jon LeCrone, commisioner of the Horizon League, responded to a recent op-ed from Dr. Karen Weaver about the impact of institutions from major NCAA Division I institutions choosing new athletic conference affiliations. Her response, printed in the Indianapolis Star, is below: “In her guest column published in The Star on Tuesday, Dr. Karen Weaver opines…

Expansion a Worry to Schools like UCF

Karen Weaver provided commentary to the Orlando Sentinel on the potential economic impact of major college conference realignment to insitutions without access to significant streams of revenue. Her comments, published on June 7, are printed below: “Fans and observers of big-time college sports have been talking for almost 20 years about the possibility of the…

Faculty Request Reduction in Subsidizing Sports at Ohio

Inside Higher Ed published an article about a resolution approved by the Faculty Senate at Ohio University for the administration to reduce the amount of money from the institution’s operating budget used to subsidize its intercollegiate athletics program, arguing that the program’s “unsustainable expenditures” jeopardize the university’s ability to “prioritize academics. The report noted that…

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…

Assistant Football Coaching Salaries Escalate

While escalating salaries for head football and basketball coaches get much of the attention, compensation for assistant coaches is also on the meteoric rise. On May 19, USA Today reported the continued escalation of assistant football coaching salaries at major institutions, particularly those which compete in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). At the University of Tennessee,…

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…

California Universities Eliminate Athletic Teams to Save Money

College athletic teams at many of the institutions in the state of California’s higher education system are being eliminated or are proposed to be cut, according to a recent report published by The Sacramento Bee. After years of growth in the number of teams schools offer and the amount they spend on athletics, public universities…

University of Texas Athletics Profiting During Economic Recession

Bloomberg News reported that the University of Texas (UT) is profiting from a decision to renovate its football stadium four years ago instead of investing in securities. According to UT Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds, the school’s annual debt payment from the football stadium construction is about $14 million, while revenue from the renovation is about…