News
PHOTOS
August. 19, 2008 - A Tribute to Former Knight Commission Chairman Thomas K. Hearn
We are deeply saddened by the news that our friend and colleague Thomas K. Hearn passed away Monday at his home in Winston-Salem. Dr. Hearn was a founding member of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and served as the Commission’s chairman in 2005 and 2006. Recognized as one of the nation’s top university presidents during his 22-year tenure leading Wake Forest University, Dr. Hearn’s consistent, strong voice on the core values that should guide college sports was instrumental to the Knight Commission’s work. A tribute to Tom Hearn is posted on the Wake Forest University Web site— http://www.wfu.edu/wowf/2008/20080818.hearn.html
August. 14, 2008 - NCAA won’t challenge fantasy football, will keep status quo on beer ads
Despite calls to take a strong stand against the use of athletes’ names in an online fantasy football game in violation of NCAA rules, the NCAA announced that it does not believe it can challenge the actions due to its interpretation of a judicial ruling involving fantasy leagues and Major League Baseball players.
The NCAA also decided at its August 7 meeting of its Executive Committee that it would continue to allow television networks to sell 60 seconds of commercial time for each hour they’re on the air. Ads can only be sold for beverages containing 6 percent or less of alcohol - almost exclusively beer - during the NCAA’s national championships. The NCAA requires all beer ads in stadiums or arenas to be covered during its championships, does not permit the sale of beer, wine or liquor during the games and has advised its member institutions to follow the same code.
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. 27, 2008 - Knight Commission to meet June 17 to discuss academic reforms, penalties for major rules violations
The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics will meet June 17 in Washington, D. C. to discuss academic reforms and penalities for major rules violations. The meeting will include discussions of the NCAA Academic Performance Program; recommendations to improve the academic performance of basketball players; and, trends in NCAA violations and recommendations to revise the penalties for major rules violations.
The NCAA recently announced that 218 teams at 123 institutions will be sanctioned for failing to meet minimum academic benchmarks established as part of the Academic Performance Program. In 2001, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics advocated that teams be ineligible for postseason competition if they failed to graduate at least 50 percent of their athletes. Although the current benchmarks are lower than those advocated by the Commission, the Commission has supported the full implementation of the NCAA’s program since its adoption in 2004.
During this meeting, the Knight Commission will receive a report on the program’s administration and impact. Of particular interest to the Commission is the process that allowed nearly 70 percent of teams with scores under the minimum benchmark to avoid penalties. Also, the Commission will consider academic enhancement proposals from a group of basketball coaches and administrators. The Commission will also hear a report from current members of the Division I Committee on Infractions on trends in major rules violations and possible changes to the penalty structure.
The Knight Commission will welcome three new members at this meeting: Sarah Lowe, former University of Florida women’s basketball athlete; Sonja Steptoe, former Time and Sports Illustrated journalist and Christopher Zorich, former football All-American at Notre Dame
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. 30, 2006 - Public Opinion Polls
Public Opinion Poll, Dec. 2005. PDF. MS Word.
Public Opinion Poll, Jan. 2006. PDF. MS Word.
December. 22, 2006 - College sports and taxes
Last week, a hearing of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee discussed numerous financial issues in higher education, including tax
write-offs for donations related to certain college sports. As reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education (link here, subscription required), the panel’s bipartisan leaders may call on the Internal Revenue Service to crack down on donor abuses in college sports. Abuses called into question at the hearing included the practice by athletic boosters of writing off gifts for season tickets and luxury boxes.
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.
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.
October. 10, 2006 - Does Title IX hurt womens’ rosters in community colleges?
The Everett Herald (link here) recently looked into the problems accounting for reduced rosters of women’s community college athletic teams in the state of Washington. The paper reported that the difficulty of fielding women’s teams was due primarily to increased scholarships at the senior college level due to Title IX compliance, but also to reduced tuition for community college athletes, and to a lack of interest among college women.
October. 06, 2006 - Western Kentucky considers $70 tuition fee to move to D1-A football
In a controversial move, the executive committee of Western Kentucky University has recommended that its board of regents approve a proposal to upgrade its football program to Division I-A. The Louisville Courier-Journal (link here) reported that the board will vote Nov. 2 and, if approved, the Hilltoppers could be playing as a member of the Sun Belt Conference by 2009. However, a recent faculty vote on the proposal resulted in an overwhelming defeat against I-A football by a vote of 176-93.
October. 05, 2006 - James Madison complies with Title IX by eliminating 10 sports
James Madison University will eliminate 10 sports teams at the end of this school year to comply with Title IX gender-equity regulations.
Seven men’s teams — archery, cross-country, gymnastics, indoor track, outdoor track, swimming and wrestling — as well as three women’s teams — archery, fencing and gymnastics will be eliminated effective July 1, 2007. “I’m sure that athletes and their families will be disappointed, just as our coaches will,” JMU President Linwood Rose said. “The fact is, we had to comply with the law.”
October. 05, 2006 - NCAA questioned about tax-exempt status
The USA Today reported (link here) the NCAA must respond by October 30 to a letter of inquiry from the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee regarding its tax-exempt status. “From the standpoint of a federal taxpayer, why should the federal government subsidize the athletic activities of educational institutions when that subsidy is being used to help pay for escalating coaches’ salaries, costly chartered travel and state-of-the-art athletic facilities?” asked Representative Bill Thomas (R-California), who chairs the powerful Congressional committee.
October. 01, 2006 - Academic integrity suffers at the price of football
The New York Times (link here, subscription required) reported that the success of Rutgers University on the gridiron may be at a price: academic integrity. At least that is the version painted by many Rutgers students and alumni as the school balances an ever expanding football program with budget cuts to its academic infrastructure and slashing other non-revenue sports programs. According to the paper, Rutgers honors student Robert Andersen witnessed a revolving door for many athletes who enrolled in a geology course called Dinosaurs. An administrator took attendance to ensure the athletes were at classes, but did not check whether or not the students were learning. ‘’It’s just a sham,’’ said Anderson. ‘’Are you truly a student athlete if there is someone who has to make sure you go to class? Halfway through, a few at a time, they’d walk out the back.”
September. 28, 2006 - Leave Friday football for high school
The Tampa Tribune (link here) reported that the University of South Florida will earn between $100,000 and $150,000 for this Friday night’s contest against Rutgers University at the cost to local high school football programs. The same night, theHillsborough High School football team will be playing Middleton High School. Fans from the Tampa Bay area will have to choose between attending a high school game orUSF’s game.
September. 28, 2006 - Recruiting flap costs athlete scholarship
J. T. Wright, a starting wide receiver at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California, still has dreams of playing Division I-A football despite having a scholarship offer reneged by the University of Wisconsin. According to an article in the Los Angeles Daily News (link here), Wright was verbally offered a scholarship by previous Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez and Wright had announced his intentions to enroll. But, when Alvarez moved to athletic director, new head coach LarryBielema decided to offer Wright’s scholarship to another player. Due to Wisconsin’s late timing in their decision, Wright was unable to accept an offer from other schools.
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.
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.
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.
September. 08, 2006 - NCAA works with Vegas bookies
The NCAA has recently been meeting with sports bookmakers in Las Vegas to discuss sports gambling and ensure the integrity of college athletics. In March, NCAA representatives visited sports bookmakers during the Division I men’s basketball tournament, and in August they went back to Vegas and met again in advance of the college football season. An article by the Scripps Howard News Service (link here) quoted bookmakers and NCAA officials as having similar goals.
September. 08, 2006 - The meaning of football to higher education
A guest editorial by J. Douglas Toma published in the NCAA News (link here) raised the issue of what football means to higher education beyond wins and losses. Toma wrote: “Universities employ [football as entertainment] in quite direct ways to advance the resource acquisition that serves various broader institutional agendas, including the purely academic ones that all agree are legitimate and significant.” He identified four “strategic advantages” that intercollegiate football competition provides to higher education institutions:
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.
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
August. 22, 2006 - Athletic departments review athletes’ web profiles
The Wisconsin State Journal (link here) has reported that the University of Wisconsin athletic department has a staff member reviewing the Internet profiles of each of its 700 athletes and issuing a report to the department. The UW athletic department declined to provide specifics, but potential reasons for reviewing the profiles could be to ensure athletes are complying with university and NCAA regulations, to ensure that their privacy rights are not being violated, and to protect their profiles from abuse by others.
August. 15, 2006 - How important is face-to-face contact with recruits?
The NCAA limits how much face-to-face contact college coaches can have with high school recruits, but doesn’t regulate text messaging, emails, or many other forms of contact. Coaches can text-message high school kids without limits, but can only visit just once a week during specific times. Yet, many argue that it is the direct personal relationships between coaches and potential players that create the best, and most positive, relationship for both. It may be even more important for the smaller football schools in Division I-A which require more transfer students to compete at the highest level.
August. 14, 2006 - Texting to excess
The Philadelphia Daily News reports on the love affair college coaches are conducting with their Blackberrys and other hand-held messaging devices. Recruits report getting as many as 14 messages a day from the same institution, and regularly receive 15-20 messages total. How much can recruits actually learn about a college from their cell phones, and how much can coaches learn about a recruit? The NCAA is considering new regulations.
August. 12, 2006 - Athletes ponder athletics as much as academics with new transfer rule
In regards to the NCAA’s new football graduate transfer rule, both sides seemingly have their supporters. But, there are athletes who admit to taking advantage of the rule for athletic reasons as much as for academic reasons. And, coaches are crying fould that the new rule harms their teams while providing an advantage to schools in need of quality experience on their football roste. The rule in effect for the 2006 season, NCAA Proposal 2005-54, its recent rule, allows football graduates in Division I with a year of eligibilty remaining to play immediately if they transfer to another school. Previously, any transfers are required to forfeit a year of eligibility in an effort to keep students at the same institution and improve education and graduation.
August. 07, 2006 - Does being a college athlete lead to low morals?
The Chronicle of Higher Education (link here, subscription required) recently published an article which proposed that collegiate athletes may be “ethically impaired.” Based upon the research of Sharon Stoll, a professor of physical education at the University of Idaho’s Center for Ethical Theroy and Honor in Competition and Sport (link here), Ms. Stoll demonstrated that athletes are worse at moral reasoning, for a variety of reasons. In the past few years, football programs at six Division IA institutions have provided a course for athletes called a “Winning with Character,” designed by Ms. Stoll designed. The six programs which have used the course are: Arizona State University, Iowa State University, the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, the University of Georgia, the University of Maryland at College Park, and Viriginia Technological University. According to the Chronicle, “ahtletics officials express few reservations about Ms. Stoll’s work.”
August. 04, 2006 - NCAA officials establish new penalties for teams with consistently poor academic performance
The NCAA announced a new set of penalties for college athletic programs whose athletes fail to improve academically over a four-year period as measured by the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR). The APR is scored on a scale of 1 to 1,000, and based on whether athletes stay enrolled and make adequate progress toward their degrees. According to the NCAA, if a team’s academic performance lags below an APR score of 900 consistently over a four-year period, it could be subject the following year to penalties including further reduction of scholarships and recruiting privileges, banning postseason play, or even revoking NCAA membership. NCAA officials estimate that approximately 300 teams could be in the danger zone.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 16, 2006 - Give All Gridders Five Years?
The American Football Coaches Association is getting ready for an effort to push for granting a fifth year of college football elgibility. According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, coaches are abandoning the idea of adding scholarships and look for other ways to, in the words of AFCA executive director Grant Teaff, “maximize the ones we have. The idea ould be changing Division I football eligibility to a five-to-play-five format, erasing redshirt seasons altogether. Teaff said the proposal would be for football only.
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.
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.
May. 08, 2006 - Longer season impacts freshmen
Longer season impacts freshmen
More Division I-A football freshmen will see increased playing time in the future simply because there will be more games. The college football schedule is set to grow to 12 games next season. Coaches’ apprehensions will grow along with it. “They are making it more difficult on football players every year,” Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Coaches are afraid not only of losing — an additional game provides the chance to do just that — but also of losing key players because of the extra game, thus forcing younger ones, who might have redshirted and developed further physically in the past, into the game.
May. 08, 2006 - Earlier football commitments
Earlier football commitments
College football coaching staffs are offering and accepting commitments from high school football prospects earlier and earlier in the recruiting process. “I worry about the early commitments,” Florida head coach Urban Meyer told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “But we are guilty as well. I worry about it with respect to their high school careers. The story is, once he committed to Florida, he decommitted from the high school. That is, the parents and the way they look at it sometimes is, ‘Oh he got a scholarship. Why continue to have a great high school career?’
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.
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.
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.
April. 06, 2006 - College Athletic Scholarships Tap Public Till
A new law in North Carolina asks taxpayers in the state of North Carolina to pay the difference in tuition between in-state and out-of-state college student athletes. The 2005 state law allows the University of North Carolina system to treat the cost of a full scholarship for an out-of- state student at the lower in-state tuition rate. William Friday, former chancellor of the UNC system and a Knight Commission member stated: “With the pressures on the public to build more schools and hospitals, why should we put money into underwriting athletic programs? Athletics programs are building bigger facilities, paying coaches enormous salaries, and when the bills get too large for them to handle, the taxpayer is stuck with the bill.’’
April. 02, 2006 - Final Four and George Mason alumni contributions
On March 31, 2006, the News Hour with Jim Lehrer cited the 2004 Knight Commission report, “Challenging the Myth” in arguing that George Mason’s entry to the Final Four probably won’t lead to greater long-term alumni contributions. Additionally, in an April 2, 2006, op-ed article in the Indianapolis Star, Knight Commission vice chairmen R. Gerald Turner and Clifton Wharton have called on the NCAA to take a closer look at how the welfare of college athletes is affected by allowing athletes to appear in promotional features sponsored by commercial entities.
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.
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.
February. 21, 2006 - Studying the SAACs
Campus student-athlete advisory committees (SAACs) were mandated by NCAA legislation in 1995 to represent the voices of student-athletes on issues affecting their collegiate experience. Lately, we hear more about SAACs organizing visits to local hospitals than in taking on difficult topics with athletics administrators. At the January Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience, a number of topics affecting the student-athlete experience were discussed as needing attention. How is your SAAC representing your needs and teammates’ voices of concern to your athletics administration?
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.
February. 07, 2006 - Big football players
The Sports Economist has a summary of a scary story: life expectancy of NFL players.
February. 06, 2006 - Female athletes and depression
The cover story in the Feb. 6 issue of USA Today tackles specific problems faced by female athletes--depression, eating disorders, and the pressure to lead “perfect lives.”
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