The second principle in the one-plus-three model is fiscal integrity.  In 1991, the Knight Commission said:  “An institution of higher education has an abiding obligation to be a responsible steward of all the resources that support its activities – whether in the form of taxpayers’ dollars, the hard-earned payments of students and their parents, the contributions of alumni, or the revenue stream generated by athletics programs.  In this respect, the responsibility of presidents and trustees is singular.”

While the growth rate of athletics expenses in Division I remains a significant concern, there have been significant improvements made in terms of institutional control of athletics-related funds.  Additionally, colleges and universities are making good headway in cooperative efforts to account for the full and true costs of intercollegiate athletics programs and to provide more accurate data to campus decision-makers.

Today, the Knight Commission continues to press for greater fiscal responsibility, increased transparency, full cost accounting, and resistance to the commercialization of college sports being driven by the relentless pursuit of revenue to support escalating costs.