Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics

July. 29, 2008 - Knight Commission calls on NCAA to protect athletes from commercial exploitation by fantasy leagues

In articles published July 31 in USA Today and the Chronicle of Higher Education, Knight Commission Executive Director Amy Perko called on the NCAA to take action to protect college athletes from being exploited by a fantasy league using their names without permission and for commercial purposes.  The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Perko “believes the NCAA should do more to stop the college fantasy game.” “The NCAA exists to protect the integrity of its rules and to protect student-athletes from being exploited,” Ms. Perko told the Chronicle.  “It (the NCAA) has a responsibility to make sure that its rules are followed for the benefit of the individual athletes.” An article published August 4 in USA Today discusses the position of individual schools and athletes considering their options to prevent CBS from continuing with its fantasy game.

Perko’s comments relate to news from the NCAA that it will work with CBS Sports to protect the amateur status of college athletes after CBS Sports’ decision to base its college football fantasy game on actual Division I Football Bowl Subdivision athletes.  CBS Sports announced on July 28 that it would offer participants playing its online College Football Fantasy Game the opportunity to draft real student-athletes as opposed to position players (for example, Michigan State QBs, Boston College RBs) that do not disclose student-athlete names.  Participants in the fantasy league will not be charged an entry fee or be eligible for any prize associated with the game.  And, according to the Wall Street Journal, CBS is planning to implement this for college basketball later this year.

July. 28, 2008 - Recruiting expenses increase significantly for major college sport programs

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that nearly half of NCAA Division I athletics departments doubled their recruiting budgets from 1997 to 2001.  Additionally, “the 65 biggest spenders shelled out a total of more than $61 million in 2007, an 86-percent increase from 10 years before.” The Chronicle’s analysis is based on financial data reported to the U.S. Department of Education, which does not include salaries for recruiting coordinators or other staff devoted solely to recruiting, and is unreliable for comparisons over time or bwtween institutions. 

July. 16, 2008 - The relationship between academic policies and APR calcuations

Inside Higher Ed published a point of view by Todd Diacon, Faculty Athletics Representative at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, in which he discussed the relationship between individual institutional academic policies and the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR).  While Diacon notes that the APR provides a useful opportunity for institutions to examine how their academic policies affect all students, he also states that institutions differ in their grade calculations, transfer credits, class scheduling, and type of major—all of which may directly or indirectly affect APR calculations.

July. 01, 2008 - Academic penalties on Division I sport teams examined by USA Today

In a series of articles by the USA Today, the paper examines NCAA’s academic-related penalties to 200 sport teams at 123 Division I schools as well as the waivers given.  By comparing the penalties applied across the leagues, the report highlights a difference between the academic performance of teams in higher profile conferences as compared to those conferences with mid-level universities.  The paper noted that both San Jose State University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham were docked more scholarships — a combined 23.62 in six sports — than all 65 schools in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) football conferences—college athletics’ most successful and lucrative conferences.

June. 25, 2008 - Knight Commission’s Executive Director Selected For CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame

Former Wake Forest basketball star was a three-time Academic All-America honoree

(June 25, 2008)-----Amy (Privette) Perko, executive director of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, has been selected for induction into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame.  Perko, who will enter the Hall as part of the 21st class, will be inducted with four other honorees on June 30 in Tampa, Fla.  The class entering with Perko in Tampa includes Rebecca Lobo (Connecticut, `95), Dr. Kenneth Caldwell (The Citadel, `79), Nancy Hogshead-Makar (Duke, `86) and Karen Jennings (Nebraska, ‘93).

Perko has been involved with the work of the Knight Commission since the Commission reconvened in 2003 and has served as the executive director since July 2005. The Commission is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  Perko joins Knight Commission member Val Ackerman in the Hall of Fame.

June. 15, 2008 - Knight Commission Calls on NCAA to Shorten Basketball Season

Commission plans further oversight of academic reform and associated sanctions

(Washington, D.C.  June 17, 2008.) – The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics held discussions here Tuesday on academic reform, potential changes in the basketball playing season, and changes to penalties for violating National Collegiate Athletic Association rules. The Commission called on the NCAA to shorten the season to reduce the number of missed classes and stress on players. It also commended the association’s academic performance program, but noted that a complex waiver process is threatening to weaken standards designed to hold programs responsible for the academic progress of their players.

“The basketball season is too long, there are too many games and too many road trips, and the grades of these athletes show the consequences,” said William E. “Brit” Kirwan, Knight Commission Co-Chairman and Chancellor of the University System of Maryland.  “Let’s adopt a schedule that is in the best interest of the athletes, not the TV programmers.”

Several organizations have reported on the meeting, including the Baltimore Sun, the NCAA, Inside Higher Ed, USA Today, the Associated Press, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. 

Audio podcast of the first session (mp3, rss podcast), “Academic Integrity: Report on the NCAA Academic Performance Program and the recommendations to improve academic performance of men’s basketball players.” Georgia Tech men’s basketball coach Paul Hewitt and NCAA officials discuss the impact of the academic reforms with commission members.

Audio podcast of the second session (mp3, rss podcast), “NCAA Infractions: An examination of trends, recommendations to restructure penalties, and challenges.” Panelists Josephine Potuto, Gene Marsh, Mike Glazier, and Chad McEvoy discussed NCAA penalties for major rules violations and the principles that should drive any potential changes.

May. 26, 2008 - The Limitations of NCAA’s Most Recent Financial Report

The Higher Ed Watch Blog recently evaluated the NCAA’s report on college spending on athletics and noted several limitations.  According to the blog, the report’s usefulness is limited because it discloses only aggregate numbers and does not disclose individual institutional expenses.  The issue is complicated by different accounting practices at each institution. Yet, this report confirms that athletics spending on many campuses is out of control and not in line with the educational mission of institutions—as previously acknowledged by the Knight Commission of Intercollegiate Athletics in its 2001 report, A Call To Action, and by the NCAA’s 2006 Presidential Task Force on the Future of Division I Athletics.  Higher Ed Blog Watch called for the federal government to require athletics programs to use consistent accounting definitions when calculating revenue and expenses, and the data to be disaggregated into designated categories, such as generated vs. allocated revenue and spending on coaching salaries, facilities, scholarships, etc.

May. 19, 2008 - NCAA’s financial picture receives concern from media

Several recently published articles help identify concerns about the financial nature of intercollegiate athletics in response to the NCAA’s recent financial report, “2004-06 NCAA Revenues and Expenses of Division I Intercollegiate Athletics Programs Report.” The NCAA’s report demonstrated the median net deficit in generated revenues for Division I-A programs increased from $5.9 million in 2003-04 to $7.3 million in 2005-06, and between 2004 and 2006, Division I-A median revenues grew by 16 percent while median costs increased by 23 percent. 

May. 14, 2008 - Contra Costa Times cites Knight Commission survey

Daniel Borenstein, a columnist for the Contra Costa Times, discusses the rapid increase in salaries for college coaches. He cites a 2006 survey sponsored by the Knight Commission that found that most Americans believe college sports has become too commercialized.

May. 08, 2008 - Controversy swells over offering athletic scholarships to eighth and ninth graders

William “Brit” Kirwan, chancellor of the University of Maryland system and co-chair of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, called on colleges and the NCAA to end the practice of offering scholarships to students as young as the eighth grade.  “I find the practice appalling, quite frankly,” Kirwan told the USA Today.  “I certainly hope the NCAA will step in and put a stop to it. I certainly will voice my objection to (NCAA President) Myles Brand and others at the NCAA.” Kirwan’s comments come in response to the recent action by University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach Billy Gillispie, who offered a scholarship in the last week to eighth-grader Michael Avery from Lake Sherwood, California and ninth-grader, Vincent Zollo, from Greenfield, Ohio.

May. 06, 2008 - NCAA issues penalties and waivers for APR failures

The NCAA announced that 218 teams at 123 Division I institutions will be sanctioned for failing to meet the minimum academic benchmarks measured by the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR).  Sanctions included loss of scholarships, reduced practice time, and a potential of post-season bans if poor APR performance continues.  According to the NCAA, about 3.5 percent of 6,272 teams received penalties. This is up from last year, when 2 percent of teams were penalized. However, the number of teams receiving penalties was much less than the projections indicated last spring as a result of increased scores that met the minimum benchmarks, the NCAA’s administration of waivers for certain cases, and mitigating factors, such as granting relief for teams that demonstrate measurable improvement and other criteria.

May. 01, 2008 - Bowl Championship Series keeps status quo, rejects playoff

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which matches the final regular-season’s top two NCAA Division I-A college football teams in a championship game separate from its Orange, Sugar, Fiesta and Rose bowls, will not change its current format at least for the next several years.  This decision was reached on April 30 by the commissioners who manage the BCS.  Two of the commissioners requested a consideration of an alternate format, which would have built a four-team playoff into the current five-game structure. However, according to the USA Today, the lack of endorsement of any changes assures that the current system will remain in place through at least the 2013 season.  In 2014, the Big Ten and Pac-10 contract with the Rose Bowl expires. 

April. 28, 2008 - NCAA Basketball Academic Enhancement Group considers restructuring summers

The NCAA’s Basketball Academic Enhancement Group met on April 25 and discussed a variety of proposals aimed at improving the academic performance of men’s basketball players.  The group is working toward enhancing off-season access by coaches to incoming players as the best chance to direct young players toward an academic setting; many of the players instead place basketball above academics as their college priority.  In a press release from the NCAA, the group’s discussions have also included: the timing of the playing and practice season, high transfer rates between schools, the high rate of change of head coaches, and the culture of youth basketball. 

April. 28, 2008 - NCAA honors sport teams for academic progress

On Friday, the NCAA issued a press release acknowledging the academic success of 712 Division I athletic teams that finished among the top 10 percent in Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores of all squads in their respective sports.  Although the total number of teams publicly recognized dropped by 17 percent from 839 teams last year, 192 institutions had at least one team finish among the top 10 percent of all schools in their sport.  Overall, 11.4 percent of the 6,272 teams were honored.

While graduation rates for men’s basketball have consistently ranked near the bottom of all sports, eight of this year’s 65 men’s basketball tournament teams were among the 33 teams on the list. Notably, Kansas, which won the men’s basketball national title this year, and North Carolina, the winner in 2005, both were honored for their high APR scores.  Xavier, which lost to UCLA in the regional finals, made the list in men’s basketball as did tourney darling Davidson. Perennial power Duke and Illinois, which lost to North Carolina in the 2005 title game, also made the list. 

April. 18, 2008 - Recent NCAA Financial Report Indicates Schools Relying More Heavily on Institutional Subsidies

The NCAA released results of a three-year study of revenues and expenses in athletics departments.  The data indicate only 16 institutions achieved positive net revenues over expenses over the three-year period studied.  Generally, institutions are relying more heavily on institutional subsidies to balance growing budgets.  The proportion of revenue from institutional subsidies at schools classified in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) grew from 19% in 2004 to 25% in 2006.  In the Football Championship Subdivision and at institutions without football, over 75% of revenues are derived from institutional subsidies. 

April. 14, 2008 - New Commission from the Knight Foundation: Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Aspen Institute today announced the launch of the Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy.  The high-level Knight Commission will look into whether the information needs of 21st century American citizens and communities are being met and make recommendations for public policy and private initiatives that will help better meet community information needs.

April. 09, 2008 - COIA calls for closer monitoring of college athlete’s courses

According to the NCAA, The Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA) has issued a statement in response to recently published reports by the Ann Arbor News that college athletes at the University of Michigan were being “clustered” in less-challenging academic programs and allowed to enroll in independent-study courses as a way to improve their grade-point averages.  COIA calls upon athletic departments to more closely monitor the courses taken by college athletes at their institutions.  It is also reiterating its appeal for universities to adopt a proposal to collect data on enrollment and grading patterns of student-athletes.

April. 08, 2008 - NCAA and NBA to partner on youth basketball initative

On April 7, the NCAA announced a new partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to create a youth basketball initiative intended to nurture athletic improvement as well as the social and educational development of 6- to 17-year-old players.  According to the NCAA, the new initiative will have its own president and will include board members from various stakeholders, including the National Federation of State High School Associations, USA Basketball, the Amateur Athletic Union, and shoe companies.  The initiative will be led by the NCAA and NBA.  It will have an administrative staff and offer programming intended to benefit anyone who plays basketball throughout the year.

April. 07, 2008 - Gambling on player performances raises NCAA concerns

An article in the USA Today reported that gamblers are now being offered the opportunity to bet on Final Four game performances of individual players such as Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington of University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Derrick Rose and Joey Dorsey of the University of Memphis, Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers of Kansas University, and Kevin Love and Josh Shipp of the University of California at Los Angeles.  Las Vegas sports books are offering “prop bets,” including over-under wagers on points scored or points-rebounds-assists totals, and whether a player will make a clutch free throw.  The article noted that betting on college and pro basketball in Nevada more than doubled to $228 million in March 2007 from $107 million the previous month. 

April. 01, 2008 - Just how much do colleges make from bowl games?

A Hartford Courant article quotes Knight Commission Executive Director Amy Perko: “There is a myth that exists that going to a bowl game is a financial windfall for the university.” While the University of Connecticut received $1.2 million from the Big East Conference for its participation in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, the university spent nearly all of the money on bowl-related expenses.  The final profit was $25,266.  In addition to paying for the travel expenses for the team and band, 108 people were part of the official travel party, including administrators, 25 spouses, secretaries, and team support personnel.  The university also gave 13 employees bonuses for the team being selected to participate in the bowl game.

March. 31, 2008 - Promoter cancels spring football concerts

The Gridiron Bash, a series of concerts tied in to spring (i.e., exhibition) football games at some of the country’s largest universities, has been cancelled by its promoters after the NCAA pointed out that having athletes participate and giving them free tickets would be violations of its rules. The concerts had been scheduled to take place in April at Rutgers University, Pennsylvania State University, and the Universities of Alabama and Colorado, among others. Spring football games, long a low-key scrimmage opportunity for coaches and dedicated fans, have become major events in recent years. Alabama reportedly drew over 90,000 fans to its 2007 game, for example.
A columnist for the Birmingham News had this reaction:
“It’s OK for current student-athletes to appear in commercials to promote Pontiac, which is really what the popular campaign known as the ‘Pontiac Game-Changing Moment’ is ultimately designed to do.
“It’s all right for video of current student-athletes to be used to promote CBS’ programming and the products that advertise on CBS, which is part of why a television network pays $6 billion to televise the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
“It’s even acceptable for entire college football teams to become attractions to promote entire cities and be part of advertising campaigns that promote entertainment districts, restaurants and theme parks while on postseason bowl trips.
“But when it comes to having current ‘student-athletes’ take part in a pep rally on the eve of a spring football game before a concert as part of an event that promotes college football and guarantees hundreds of thousands of dollars to general scholarship funds, well, the sanctimonious NCAA says that violates its precious spirit of amateurism.”

March. 21, 2008 - Graduation Rates and 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Teams

Graduation Rates and 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Teams

Forty-one of the 65 teams in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament are graduating at least 50 percent of their players, according to a report published by the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports.  The figures are calculated by the NCAA and include the number of athletes (including freshmen and transfers) in a four-year cohort who graduate within six years. Athletes who leave the institution in good academic standing but without a degree do not count against the team’s graduation success rate.  The Knight Commission began spotlighting the academic performance of men’s basketball tournament teams in 2004 as part of its advocacy that the NCAA implement measures to penalize teams for failing to graduate at least 50 percent of its players.  Prior Knight Commission releases on men’s basketball teams’ graduation rates can be found here: (2005 release, 2004 release).

October. 15, 2007 - Faculty Summit on Intercollegiate Athletics

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics hosted the Faculty Summit on Intercollegiate Athletics at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on October 15, 2007.  The summit included a presentation of findings from the Faculty Perceptions of Intercollegiate Athletics Survey. The survey presentation served as the context for panelists and interactive sessions relating to the role of faculty engagement in athletics issues, faculty governance, academic integrity, case studies of athletics crises, and strategies for faculty to consider.

Georgetown President and Knight Commission Member Jack DeGioia presented a keynote speech at the annual meeting of the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association on November 9, 2007.  Click here to read the remarks (in MS Word). 

NCAA News:  Knight Commission summit weighs faculty input

Inside Higher Ed: Ignorance or bliss - Or both?

Multimedia files.

MORNING SESSION
(Video webcast, Windows Media Player):
Presentation/Highlight of Survey Findings. 
General Session: In 2007, what do faculty members really think about college sports, and why are - or aren’t - they engaged with issues affecting academics and athletics.

BREAKOUT SESSION 1: Faculty Governance roles. 
(Audio: mp3, rss podcast).
BREAKOUT SESSION 2: Faculty, Academic Integrity, and Athletics. 
(Audio: mp3, rss podcast).
BREAKOUT SESSION 3: Case Study of Crises Spurring Faculty Involvement. 
(Audio: mp3, rss podcast).

AFTERNOON SESSION
(Video webcast, Windows Media Player):
What actions can faculty members take on their own campuses to ensure integrity in athletics, as well as to enhance the value of athletics in campus life.

September. 18, 2007 - Knight Commission to Hold Faculty Summit on Intercollegiate Athletics on Oct. 15, 2007 in Washington

Key findings from Faculty Perceptions on Intercollegiate Athletics survey to be discussed

EVENT: The Knight Commission will host a Faculty Summit on Intercollegiate Athletics to discuss what college faculty members really think about college sports and whether they are adequately engaged with issues affecting academics and athletics.  The event is free and open to the public.

Key findings of a national survey of faculty at NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision institutions will be discussed.  Link here for a complete agenda.

WHEN: Monday, Oct. 15, 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. EST
Reporters will have a chance to talk with panelists and Knight Commission members during breaks or at the conclusion of the final session.

WHERE: National Press Club Ballroom
529 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C.

RSVP: To attend or watch the free webcast reply to:

HOTEL: A group rate is available at the Marriott Key Bridge for Oct. 14. In order to receive the group discount rate, reservations must be made by Sept. 21. Reservations can be made directly with Marriott at 1-800-676-2959. Identify the name of event as Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics to receive the group rate of $159.

May. 02, 2007 - Knight Commission reaction to NCAA academic data released today

Statement by Knight Commission Co-Chairman R. Gerald Turner, President, Southern Methodist University, in response to the NCAA’s release of academic data today:

“We have reached a critical juncture on the road to academic reform. The NCAA has announced that at least 112 of the more than 6,000 teams in Division I will be subject to penalties for failing to meet minimum team academic performance standards.  Many more teams could be affected: the NCAA projects that next year roughly 40 percent of football and men’s basketball teams, and more than a third of baseball teams, could lose scholarships or be subject to other penalties unless they make significant academic progress.”

April. 23, 2007 - Knight Commission to Meet May 14 to Receive NCAA Reports on Academic and Financial Data and Reforms

William E. “Brit” Kirwan, Chancellor of the University System of Maryland, presides over first meeting as co-chairman; NFL Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti and Northwestern President Henry Bienen join Commission.  The meeting will be held Monday, May 14, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. EST, at the Willard InterContinental, 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.  The meeting will discuss academic data and trends for all sports and specific recommendations to improve academic performance of baseball players, and to receive a report on financial issues in college sports. 

January. 21, 2007 - Knight Commission meeting January 22nd, 2007

The Knight Commission met in Washington, D.C. on Monday, January 22. Three panels were conducted: one on gender equity and two on recruiting. Podcasts of the sessions are now available (rss, iTunes). Media coverage of the meeting is available from the Associated Press, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Baltimore Sun, The Chronicle of Higher Education, InsideHigherEd.com, USA Today, and elsewhere. 

January. 05, 2006 - Educators

Greetings! This page will be devoted to Knight Commission reports, white papers and news releases as well as scholarly resources on intercollegiate athletics. We will be developing these offerings over the course of 2006, and we welcome input and suggestions.

Below is a catalogue of the Knight Commission’s own publications, all of which are available as Portable Document Format (pdf) files on the website, along with links to external reports prepared for the commission.

Click here to add your name and email address to be notified as new material is added to this page, and feel free to contact us with any ideas, questions, or concerns about the Knight Commission and college sports.

May. 12, 2007 - Knight Commission Urges Presidents To Show Strong Support For Academic Reforms

William E. “Brit” Kirwan, Chancellor of the University System of Maryland, presides over first meeting as co-chairman; Northwestern President Henry Bienen and NFL Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti join Commission

Washington, D.C. (May 14, 2007) - On the heels of the NCAA’s announcement that 112 Division I teams will be penalized for failing to meet minimum academic performance standards, and are aware that tougher times are ahead, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics strongly urged college presidents to resist pressure to weaken the reforms.  Podcasts of the two sessions are now available (rss, iTunes)

The Commission heard and discussed an NCAA report on Division I academic performance standards projecting that unless they make significant academic progress, 45 percent of men’s basketball teams, 40 percent of football teams, and a third of baseball teams could lose scholarships or be subject to other penalties beginning in the fall of 2008 when more teams become eligible for sanctions.

Knight Commission Co-Chairman and Southern Methodist University President R. Gerald Turner said, “We expect that as more teams are penalized, more pressure will be exerted to weaken the reforms. But these reform measures must be implemented.  As we’ve seen before, behavior changes when standards are raised, and we are already seeing the positive effects of these new measures.”

February. 04, 2007 - Make academic integrity part of recruiting process

R. Gerald Turner and Clifton R. Wharton, Jr., co-chairs of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, commented in the Miami Herald (link here) on February 4, 2007, about the need for colleges and universities to incorporate academic integrity in the recruiting of athletes. In the article, Turner and Wharton noted the significant media attention that is expected on February 8 for “National Signing Day,” when colleges can first declare the students that will attend their school to play football.  The article stated, “the recruiting process has moved away from the academic realm of our institutions and into the commercial realm surrounding college sports. From this process, prospects learn that their choice of college is critically important to an ominous mass of spectators and that they themselves are little more than a bundle of statistics neatly packaged into a one- to five-star rating.” While acknowledging that colleges cannot control the fan or media interest, they addressed the need for colleges and the NCAA to control the ways in which athletes are recruited. 

February. 01, 2007 - Knight Commission announces May meeting date and Faculty Summit

The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics announces two future meetings:

1) The Commission will have its next regular meeting on May 14, 2007, Washington DC, at The Willard Intercontinental Hotel.  The meeting will be free and open to the public.

2) The Commission also invites college faculty, athletic administrators, media, students, and the public to participate in the Faculty Summit on Intercollegiate Athletics. The Faculty Summit will be held on Monday, Oct. 15, 2007 in Washington, DC. 

January. 30, 2007 - Recruiting and transparency

The University of Georgia’s Institute of Higher Education convened a roundtable of college administrators, coaches, and faculty members to discuss the recruiting process in August 2006. The group did not make specific policy recommendations, but instead suggested general principles of transparency and campuswide involvement in recruiting athletes. An essay generated from the group’s conversation is available here.

January. 04, 2007 - When to say when?

As the NCAA debates skyrocketing costs of college athletics programs at its annual convention this week, the public is left to ponder: How much is too much?  Two recent headliners demonstrate the issue: the recent $32 million contract from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa to Nick Saban to coach its football team; and, the approved $40 million expansion to the yet-to-be-built $288 million TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. 

December. 10, 2006 - “Special admits” for sports raises academic concerns

Most, if not all, colleges admit athletes who either a) have lesser academic credentials than other students or b) would not have been admitted had it not been for their athletic abilities.  Recent articles compared this practice for athletes to other specially talented students, with controversial conclusions.  The San Diego Union-Tribune (link here) reported that 70% of scholarship athletes at the University of California at Los Angeles and 64.5% to scholarship athletes at San Diego State University were “special admits.” In comparison, at UCLA, only 3% of non-athletic students were given special admits, while 20% of those at SDSU were not athletes. Amy Perko of the Knight Commission is quoted.

November. 10, 2006 - Do college athletes receive preferential academic support?

How does the academic support athletes receive differ from that available to the general student body? That is a question recently asked in a recent article by the New York Times (link here, subscription required).  The article notes that many of the nation’s top athletic programs have recently invested significant funds in their athletic-academic programs.  Louisiana State University spent $15 million to build an academic center for athletes, for example, and the University of Georgia built a new facility for $7 million. Temple University, increased the academic support budget for athletes by 34 percent after poor academic performance led to scholarship losses imposed by the NCAA.

• Read more about this issue

• What do you think?

  
  

October. 30, 2006 - Knight Commission responds to NCAA task force report

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics commends the National Collegiate Athletic Association and the 50 current and former presidents and higher education leaders who served on the NCAA Presidential Task Force on the Future of Division I Intercollegiate Athletics. The report published today by the task force builds on the principles emphasized by the Knight Commission in its 1991 and 2001 reports—presidential control and reconnecting athletics with the university mission.  Link here to access the report and press release in PDF.

“This is a major step forward for presidential leadership in intercollegiate athletics,” said Clifton R. Wharton Jr., co-chairman of the Commission and president emeritus of Michigan State University. “We applaud this distinguished group and hope that its work will provide the impetus for campus-based reforms throughout the country. The task force should be commended particularly for its ground-breaking work to collect more accurate financial data and provide better transparency.”

R. Gerald Turner, the other co-chairman of the Commission and the president of Southern Methodist University, served on the task force and chaired one of its subcommittees.  Turner noted that “the report is a good diagnostic tool for identifying the significant issues facing Division I athletics. It will require a concerted, cohesive effort by member institutions to implement the proposed solutions.”

The task force addressed a broad range of issues affecting many aspects of intercollegiate athletics at Division I institutions, including fiscal responsibility; presidential leadership; the integration of athletics and universities; and athlete well-being. The Knight Commission discussed the report in detail at its Oct. 16 meeting.

Click here to read the full release and report.

October. 23, 2006 - Are presidents in control?

Fifteen years after the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics initial report (click on “reports” above for a copy), the Kansas City Star took a look at the state of presidential control of intercollegiate athletics. The results, according to reporter Blair Kerkhoff, are mixed.

October. 17, 2006 - Georgetown President John J. DeGioia Joins Knight Commission

WASHINGTON—Following a working meeting here, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics announced that John J. DeGioia has joined the Commission. President of Georgetown for the past five years, DeGioia has been an administrator and professor at the Washington, D.C., institution since his graduation in 1979.

September. 21, 2006 - What does a 12th game mean to the athletes?

Football coaches have always been ambivalent about adding a 12th game to Division I-A schedules.  Joe Paterno, head coach at Pennsylvania State University, has publicly stated his displeasure of a 12th game because of the impact on athletes’ study schedules.  Joe Paterno commented on his weekly teleconference that “the only thing a 12th game does is make money and (the NCAA) ought to admit it.” As reported by the Daily Local News (link here), Paterno complained that the added game wiped out a midseason break for his players to get healthy and get caught up academically. 

• Read more about this issue

• Is adding a 12th football game to Division 1-A schedules worth it to the students who play the games?

  
  

September. 21, 2006 - Duke faculty propose faculty-coach pairing to improve understanding

According to the Raleigh News & Observer (link here), the Academic Council at Duke University will consider a proposal to allow faculty to mentor sports teams in an attempt to improve communication and understanding between faculty and athletics.  The article states that faculty leaders would assign a faculty volunteer to a sport.  The professor could attend practices and travel with the sport team.  The intent would not be for faculty to report on the team, but rather to get to know athletes and coaches. 

• Read more about this issue

• Should colleges pair faculty with athletic teams to improve communication and understanding?

  
  

September. 13, 2006 - Clemson cornerback awarded waiver to care for brother

The NCAA recently granted a waiver to Ray Ray McElrathbey, a cornerback on the University of Clemson football team, which will allow Clemson to help him raise his 11-year-old brother.  According to the Charleston Post and Courier (link here), McElrathbey has received temporary custody of Fahmarr McElrathbey because their mother, who lives in Atlanta, has struggled with an addiction to crack cocaine for more than a decade. Their father, who lives in Las Vegas, has had problems with gambling. McElrathbey and his brother live in a town home about five miles from campus, with a scooter as the only method of transportation.  He has depended mostly on friends and teammates to give him and Fahmarr rides to school.

• Read more about this issue

• Should the NCAA reconsider its rules regarding monetary compensation for athletes with family issues?

  
  

September. 04, 2006 - Hazing at Delaware raises more questions

Once again, photos of hazing by members of an intercollegiate athletic team have become the focus of a school investigation.  According to an article in the Wilmington News Journal (link here), photos from an August 2005 party hosted by members of the University of Deleware men’s soccer team displayed shirtless freshman players wearing outfits resembling diapers fastened with duct tape. The photos, published on the Internet, also reportedly showed players with what appeared to be alcoholic beverages.

September. 01, 2006 - Sixth year of eligibility for paternity leave denied by NCAA

The NCAA recently denied a sixth year of eligibility to former Kansas defensive lineman Eric Butler, who requested a a sixth season of eligibility based on the pregnancy waiver.  According to USA Today (link here), Butler argued that the NCAA’s pregnancy waiver, which allows female athletes a one-year extension of eligibility for “reasons of pregnancy,” should apply to males in helping to care for their newborns. 

• Read more about this issue

• Should male athletes at NCAA institutions be granted a sixth year of eligibility for paternity?

  
  

August. 27, 2006 - Does a scholarship equate to market worth?

The San Jose Mercury News (link here) recently set out to learn if the cost of a college scholarship for a high-profile college football player was fair compensation. The paper created an economic model to determine what junior Marshawn Lynch, a tailback for the University of California, would be worth this season if college football were subject to the open market, similar to the National Football League. After examining Cal’s finances and interviewing economists familiar with college athletics, the Mercury News calculated Lynch’s worth to be $800,000.  Yet, according to the paper, Lynch will instead receive a scholarship worth $16,800, plus the cost of books.

August. 23, 2006 - Editorial calls on UNC to enhance oversight of college athletics

On August 23, the Raleigh News and Observer (link here) published an editorial in support of the Knight Commission’s efforts to reform college athletics through more intense oversight efforts.  The editorial references a review of the University of North Carolina system by the nonprofit, nonpartistan Center for Public Policy Research.  The Center’s review supports the work by the Knight Commission and William Friday, founding president of the University of North Carolina system and former co-chair of the Knight Commission.  As stated in the editorial, the Commission recommends rules to prohibit teams with graduation rates under 50 percent from participating in post-season tournaments and the like; to prohibit corporate logos on uniforms; and, to treat athletes more like regular students.  For the full editorial link here

July. 17, 2006 - Auburn officials investigate directed study course for athletes

The New York Times (link here, subscription required) recently investigated accusations by a professor at Auburn University that football players received unfair advantages in 2004-2005 by taking special directed study courses in the Department of Sociology.  James Gundlach, the Auburn sociology director making the accusations, has asked the university to investigate whether or not football players were receiving preferential treatment by being offered the course and receiving inflated grades. However, both Auburn and NCAA officials have not determined academic or athletic violations occurred.

• Read more about this issue

• What do you think? 

  
  

July. 04, 2006 - Summer House: is it reality?

A new reality show on ESPNU has an interesting premise.  On July 25, ESPNU will debut a new reality show, “Summer House,” featuring six incoming freshmen college football players in a house for a week.  According to a report in Broadcast & Cable (link here), the show will feature players competing in various non-football challenges, include non-football competitions such as performing a dance routine during halftime of a women’s professional basketball game.  ESPN college football analyst Chris Spielman will serve as the “house dad” on the show, and ESPNU anchor Mike Hall and ESPN college football analyst Bob Davie will also have roles.

June. 15, 2006 - Does TV scheduling shuffle hurt athletes?

The movement of college football games to fit television schedules can create difficulties for athletes.  Recently, Texas Christian University and Baylor University moving their game ahead a day to Sunday, Sept. 3, at 4:30 p.m. and will be carried by Fox Sports Net nationally.  ESPN is televising a college football doubleheader the same day, with the University of Memphis travelling to the University of Mississippi for a 3:30 pm kickoff, followed by a U. of Kentucky-U. of Louisville matchup at 8 p.m. Memphis players will play twice on Sunday this fall, with their Nov. 4 game against the University of Southern Mississippi now moved to Sunday, Nov. 5 to accommodate an ESPN national television audience at 7 p.m.  And, the University of Michigan recently had a pair of Saturday football games (September 30 at University of Minnesota and October 14 at Penn State University) moved to 8 p.m. to accomodate television, to the chagrin of its head coach, Lloyd Carr. 

• Read more about this issue

• What do you think?  Should the NCAA, athletic conferences, or individual institutions, impose more control over television scheduling football games?

  
  

June. 05, 2006 - AGB Statement on Board Responsibilities for Intercollegiate Athletics

A good document on the governance of intercollegiate athletics for trustees and other interested parties was published by the Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and Universities in 2004. The document is available in PDF format by clicking here.

June. 02, 2006 - New transfer rules allow student-athletes to play anywhere after graduation

The NCAA recently passed a rule allowing student-athletes to transfer to any college after graduating if they still have eligibility remaining without sitting out a year, as required of other student-athlete transfers.  The rule, which passed without fanfare, recently drew the ire of coaches from the Southeastern Conference (SEC), who are worried that star players already on college teams will be recruited to spend a year or two at a new college. Florida coach Urban Meyer was quoted in the Athens Banner Herald: “That’s a loophole that will be closed up. I’m convinced that we’ll eventually shut that one down.” The SEC, though, amended its rules to allow teams to accept incoming transfers with one season of eligibility left.

• Read more about this issue

• What do you think?

  
  

June. 01, 2006 - Hazing, the Internet, and college sports

Probably the major issue involving college athletes in the news right now is hazing, and specifically the pictures that have emerged of team-bonding nights at Northwestern University, the Catholic University of America, and elsewhere. Now, someone identified as a former University at Albany compliance officer has posted a blog about hazing, calling on the NCAA to pass emergency legislation to ban the practice. Many athletes, of course, see nothing wrong with a team party that involves a few people being silly--even if they’re the freshmen being tied up, drawn upon, and forced to do skits, shots, or other things. Posting photos of team parties and other events was a major issue at the Knight Commission’s Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience.
What do you think? Take our poll or address this in the forum.

• Read more about this issue

• What do you think? Is hazing the major problem that it is being made out to be?

  
  

May. 29, 2006 - Many Colleges Lack “Pregnant Athlete” Policies

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports (registration required) that most colleges lack policies for athletes who become pregnant. Tara Brady, a student at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, sued her former basketball coach for discrimination, claiming that she was told to “go home . . . because her pregnancy would be a ‘distraction’ to the team.” She requested a ‘medical redshirt,’ giving her a chance to forego eligibility for a year, but sued after her claim was rejected.

May. 29, 2006 - Is text messaging high school prospects intrusive?

Under NCAA rules, text messages to recruits are considered to be more like letters than phone calls. That is, coaches can send unlimited messages to high school juniors and seniors they are trying to recruit. And they can respond to any message from a younger recruit. According to an ESPN report, that is creating abuses. “The concern is about the intrusiveness to the prospect,” ACC associate commissioner Shane Lyons told the network. “You know, the timing. Some of these e-mails, or text messages, are being sent during academic class time, during the school day hours.” Lyons chairs the NCAA’s Recruiting Committee on Academics, Eligibility, and Compliance, a group charged with reviewing recruiting regulations.

• Read more about this issue

• Should the NCAA ban text messaging by coaches?

  
  

May. 20, 2006 - Knight Commission Announces New Co-Chairmen

WASHINGTON—The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics today named R. Gerald Turner and Clifton R. Wharton Jr. co-chairmen. Wharton was a member of the Commission at its founding in 1989 and Turner joined in 1991.  Both men have been leaders in the effort to ensure that college athletics programs are conducted according to the educational missions of American universities. Turner is president of Southern Methodist University and Wharton is president emeritus of Michigan State University.

May. 15, 2006 - Women find opportunities in emerging sports

While men’s collegiate sports programs are being trimmed for budgetary reasons - such as tennis at Colorado - women’s sports are added as universities keep pace with Title IX compliance.  Athletic directors are looking to fulfill complicated compliance formulas, involving everything from scholarships and “proportionality” mirroring the male-female student enrollment ratio, at a minimum of cost. All Division I schools must sponsor at least 16 sports and a minimum of six for men and women.

May. 12, 2006 - Correspondence Courses Spell Concern

A number of schools are currently under NCAA investigation for allowing student-athletes to use an inordinate amount of correspondence courses (courses by Internet or mail) in their course loads.

According to a special report in the Salt Lake Tribune, Brigham Young University’s independent study program has been employed by coaches and athletes—including football recruits from the University of Kansas, and more than two dozen football and basketball players from Nicholls State University in Louisiana —to improperly gain or maintain athletic eligibility at other schools.  The case that tipped off the investigation focused on Ricky Clemons, a basketball player from the University of Missouri.

May. 11, 2006 - NCAA throws baseball a curve

The NCAA is telling Division I baseball teams to come up with a plan to improve academic performance or face a substantial cutback in games. Baseball’s graduation rates and Academic Progress scores are the third-worst, ahead of only football and basketball, among college teams. 

• Read more about this issue

• What do you think? Should baseball seasons be cut back? What about other sports?

  
  

May. 11, 2006 - George Washington U. monitoring recruiting

George Washington University coaches will have to fill out reports on recruits who come from unaccredited high schools, according to a May 11 article in The Washington Post. GWU had several players who went to schools labeled as “diploma mills” in earlier reports in the Post and The New York Times.

April. 23, 2006 - Academic Requirements & Eligibility: Tougher standards or not?

Big East university presidents voted 13-3 in November to stop enrolling first-year athletes who do not meet the NCAA’s initial eligibility standards coming out of high school. There are no exceptions, which is a major change from Big East guidelines issued a year ago.  The Big East became the fourth Bowl Championship Series league to stop enrolling non-qualifiers, joining the Pacific-10, the Big 12 and the Atlantic Coast Conference.  The Big Ten has no league-wide rule keeping non-qualifiers out.  The Southeastern Conference allows for a limited number of exceptions spread across all teams at an institution.

• Read more about this issue

• Should all conferences stop enrolling athletes who do not meet the NCAA’s initial eligibility standards?  Or, should schools and/or conferences rely upon their own assessment standards? 

  
  

April. 23, 2006 - Should College Sports Remain Tax Exempt?

Athletic department budgets that are growing three to four times as fast as overall university budgets and escalating coaches’ salaries have drawn the attention of NCAA officials and federal lawmakers, who are reviewing the current tax-exempt status of college athletics.  Aides for the House Committee on Ways and Means are asking questions about potential tax abuses in college sports. The concern is that big-time sports programs are becoming more about entertainment and losing an already tenuous connection to the tax- exempt purposes of higher education.  One question being asked is whether college athletics donors should be allowed to take tax deductions for making contributions that not only supplement coaches’ salaries, but pay for perks such as luxury suites and access to better season- ticket packages.

• Read more about this issue

• Should college athletic programs be tax exempt?

  
  

April. 23, 2006 - Women losing ground in coaching ranks

More women than ever before are participating in college athletics.  But, the percentage of women coaching college teams for women has dropped to its lowest point ever.  Researchers Linda Jean Carpenter and R. Vivian Acosta, professors at Brooklyn College, looked at the data for college sports across all three NCAA divisions. In their 2006 update of their study “Women in Intercollegiate Sport: A Longitudinal, National Study,” they found only 42.4 percent of women’s college teams are coached by a woman and less than 2 percent of men’s teams are coached by a woman. When Title IX was enacted in 1972, more than 90 percent of head coaches for women’s teams (and 2 percent for men’s teams) were women.

• Read more about this issue

• What do you think?

  
  

March. 27, 2006 - On the team or off?

A story making its way around print and online media concerns a tennis player at Tennessee State University whose scholarship was revoked after she attended a journalism conference instead of practice. She was also kicked off the team. Melaney Whiting says it’s unfair to force her to choose between the conference and practice; the university says the conference did not have an explicitly academic purpose.

• Read more about this issue

• What do you think?

  
  

March. 01, 2006 - The NCAA and Academic Progress Rates

Clifton R. Wharton, vice-chairman of the Knight Commission, shares his thoughts on the NCAA’s March 1 release of Academic Progress Rate data and penalties for teams with poor academic scores. Also, links to online commentators and their view on the APR information.

February. 21, 2006 - NCAA sued (again) over scholarship limits

According to a story on ESPN.com, three former Division I athletes are suing the NCAA because of its rules limiting scholarships to tuition, room, board, books, and fees. The lawsuit alleges that the NCAA’s limits violate federal antitrust laws.

• Read more about this issue

• Please comment on this story here.

  
  

February. 21, 2006 - Athletes=better citizens?

A report out from a group sponsored by the University of Maryland says that young people (i.e., high schoolers) who are involved in sports are more likely to vote, be registered to vote, and follow the news closely than their peers. A full copy of the report in pdf format is available at the group’s website.

• Read more about this issue

• Click here to comment on this story.

  
  

February. 02, 2006 - News Release: Americans are concerned about college sports

Knight Commission members react to the poll about American attitudes toward college sports.

February. 02, 2006 - Quoting the Summit’s participants

Some of the comments from this week’s Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience. Feel free to use, attributing to the Knight Commission and the speakers.

February. 02, 2006 - Participants in the Knight Commission’s Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience

A full list of our guests at George Washington University on Jan. 30.

February. 02, 2006 - Poll: Americans are concerned about college sports

Executive summary of a December 2005 poll conducted for the Knight Commission

January. 31, 2006 - Getting defaced by Facebook

Facebook is becoming an increasing problem for college athletes. Coaches, universities, and even potential employers are all watching.

• Read more about this issue

• What do you think? Should athletes (and other students) risk getting kicked off their teams for information found on a website like facebook.com?

  
  

January. 29, 2006 - Knight Commission Summit information

The Knight Commission held the first-ever Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience at George Washington University on January 30. Click here for more information, including video and transcripts. Summit participants Don McPherson of the Sports Leadership Institute and Joanne Belknap of the University of Colorado explored the behavior and violence of student-athletes, including rape, sexual assault, drugs, and the social climate within institutions and the community.  A podcast of the summit also is available at here, or via the iTunes Music Store.  To request a DVD of the event, please fill out a form by linking here.

January. 06, 2006 - Knight Commission poll: NCAA must stay the course on academic reform

A poll conducted for the Knight Commission finds that Americans strongly support the NCAA’s academic reforms. They also want to see more steps taken to ensure that athletes are regular college students with the same requirements, challenges, and education as other students. A copy of the poll is available here: Knight_Commission_Poll_December_05.pdf

January. 04, 2006 - Knight Commission poll find Americans are concerned about college sports

(WASHINGTON, JAN. 30)-- Americans are deeply concerned about the professionalization of college sports, according to a new poll conducted for the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. Concerns about how the increasing pressure to win and generate revenue impacts the athletes’ recruitment and subsequent experience prompted the commission to sponsor the first-ever Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience today at The George Washington University.

January. 02, 2006 - College GameDay…on Thursday, Sunday, or Tuesday

ESPN’s Thursday games have become an institution. But conferences like the Western Athletic Conference and the Mountain West have games on nearly every night of the week.

• Read more about this issue

• Is it a good idea to have a football game on your campus on a Tuesday?

  
  

December. 31, 2005 - The Man, or just another kid?

High school stars are having more and more elaborate “press conferences” to announce where they will attend college. 

• Read more about this issue

• Is it legit for a kid to have a national audience, like during a televised all-star game, to deliver a verbal commitment? What about a news conference at his or her high school?

  
  

September. 07, 2004 - New Study Debunks Link Between Winning Teams and Financial Benefits

Study Commissioned by the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Has Broad Implications for Funding Policy

Sept. 7, 2004

MIAMI, FLORIDA — Success in big-time athletics has little if any effect on a college’s alumni donations or on the academic quality of its applicants, a leading economist concludes in a new study commissioned by the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

Robert H. Frank, H. J. Louis Professor of Management and Economics at Cornell University and author of the study notes: “Individual institutions that decide to invest more money in their sports programs in the hope of raising more funds or improving their applicant pools may be throwing good money after bad, and would be wiser to spend the money in other ways.” In response to these findings, Dr. Frank suggests that “groups of institutions that compete against each other in sports could jointly agree to cut back on sports spending – to abandon the ‘arms race’ in which they are now engaged – without reducing either donations by alumni or applications by prospective students.”

February. 26, 2002 - Roundtable: Life On and Off the Field

Transcript of a roundtable discussion held as part of the Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience.

February. 26, 2002 - Panel 2: Ethics and Student Welfare During the Recruiting Process

Transcript from the second panel of the Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience.

February. 26, 2002 - Panel 1: Values and Choices

Transcript from the opening session of the Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience.