Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics

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. 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.

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. 

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. 

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. 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.

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.

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. 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. 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

December. 19, 2005 - Knight Commission Study: Graduation Rates Are Still Too Low

Graduation rates for many college football teams are still too low, according to members of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, and incentives for athletic rather than academic success continue to grow.
2005_12_19_KCIA_chart.pdf

November. 09, 2005 - Knight Commission Announces Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience in 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics announced plans to host a Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience in January 2006 at George Washington University. The announcement was one of the highlights of a daylong Knight Commission meeting at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel.

September. 13, 2005 - Knight Commission Names New Members

Miami, Fla. – The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics announced eight new members today, along with one former member returning to the panel. The new commissioners bring a broad array of experience and perspectives to the mission of reforming intercollegiate athletics.

July. 25, 2005 - Amy Perko Succeeds Maureen Devlin as Executive Director of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate

Miami — Maureen Devlin, who has been with the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics since its founding in 1989, has stepped down as executive director but will remain involved with the Knight Commission’s work as a consultant. Succeeding her is Amy Privette Perko, a former college basketball star who has spent her career working in the field of college athletics. Working with Perko will be Welch Suggs, who comes to the Knight Commission as associate director.

June. 09, 2005 - Knight Commission Study Finds Low Graduation Rates Among Super Regional Baseball Teams

Miami, Fla. — One of the central recommendations of A Call to Action, the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics’ 2001 report, was that eligibility for postseason participation should be reserved by 2007 for teams that graduate 50 percent of their players.

If that recommendation were in effect today, only three of the teams remaining in the NCAA Division I men’s baseball championship would be eligible.  Thirteen of the remaining 16 teams (81 percent) failed to graduate 50 percent of the athletes who initially enrolled on scholarship within six years of their enrollment, according to the most recent federally mandated graduation rate data.  Further, two-thirds (67 percent) of all 64 teams that participated in the championship, which began last weekend, would have been ineligible under the commission’s recommended standard.

May. 23, 2005 - Knight Commission Discusses Intercollegiate Athletics with Myles Brand and Conference Commissioners

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics met today with NCAA President Myles Brand and conference commissioners and addressed a broad range of challenges facing college sports.  Commissioners discussed and applauded the work of the newly formed NCAA Presidential Task Force on the Future of Intercollegiate Athletics, citing the alignment of its efforts and the task force’s goals. 

March. 14, 2005 - Knight Commission Finds Nearly 2/3 of Men’s Basketball Tournament Field Fails to Meet Academic Goals

Incentive for each appearance and win in men’s tournament tops $1 million

March 14, 2005

MIAMI, Fla. — One of the central recommendations of A Call to Action, the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics’ 2001 report, was that eligibility for postseason participation should be reserved by 2007 for basketball teams that graduate 50 percent of their players. If that recommendation were in effect today, nearly two-thirds (42 of 65) of the men’s tournament field would be ineligible to participate, according to the NCAA’s latest graduation rate report. By comparison, six of the 64 women’s teams would be ineligible under the same standards.

December. 09, 2004 - Knight Commission Continues Call for Academic Performance to Factor into Bowl Game Eligibility

Under Commission standards, nearly half of the teams would not be eligible

Dec. 9, 2004

MIAMI, Fla. – In 2001, the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics recommended that eligibility for postseason bowl games should be reserved for football teams that graduate at least 50 percent of their players.

October. 27, 2004 - Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Meets with College Sports Finance Experts

October 2004 Marks the Commission’s 15th Anniversary in Efforts to Seek Reform of College Athletics

Oct. 27, 2004

WASHINGTON , D.C. — Members of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics met today with experts on college sports financial issues as well as the NCAA Board of Directors’ Chair and University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway, to discuss the ongoing need for the reform of college sports. The meeting, which also marks the Commission’s 15 th anniversary, represents the latest in a series exploring the role of athletics in higher education.

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.”

May. 24, 2004 - Knight Commission Calls for Clearer Model of Division I-A Football Governance

Notre Dame Football Coach Tyrone Willingham and Former Texas A&M Coach R.C. Slocum Offer their Testimony

May 24, 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics today welcomed recent efforts to reform the postseason bowl structure and to tighten requirements on academic performance by NCAA athletes, but acknowledged that more work needs to be done.

March. 18, 2004 - Knight Commission: Two-Thirds of Men’s Teams Would Be Ineligible for NCAA Basketball Tournament

Only 21 of 65 Men’s Teams Would Meet Panel’s Graduation Standard

March 18, 2004

MIAMI, Fla. – In 2001, the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics strongly recommended that eligibility for postseason tournament play should be reserved for teams that graduate at least 50 percent of their players.

If that recommendation were in effect today, fewer than one-third of the men’s basketball teams in the 2004 NCAA tournament would qualify. Only twenty-one of the 65 teams graduated at least 50 percent of their players within six years of their initial enrollment, according to the NCAA’s latest graduation rate report. By comparison, 53 of the women’s teams (84 percent) for which data are available graduated at least 50 percent of their players during the same time period.

February. 02, 2004 - NCAA President, Coaches, Network Executives Meet With Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics

Myles Brand, former UNC Coach Dean Smith Offer Testimony

Feb. 2, 2004, WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics met today with NCAA President Myles Brand, television executives, basketball coaches and faculty members as it continued its work seeking reform of college sports.

Former basketball coaches Dean Smith, University of North Carolina, and Terry Holland, University of Virginia, testified about the state of college basketball. Both spoke strongly in favor of freshman ineligibility, emphasizing that a year of residency without high-level competition would help improve graduation rates in men’s basketball — currently the lowest of all sports.

December. 12, 2003 - Knight Commission Calls for Bowl Game Eligibility Reforms

MIAMI, Fla. (Dec. 12, 2003) – In 2001, the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics strongly recommended that eligibility for postseason bowl games should be reserved for football teams that graduate at least 50 percent of their players.  If that recommendation were in effect today, 26 of this year’s 28 bowl games could not be played with their current lineups.  Thirty-two of this season’s 56 bowl teams failed to graduate at least 50 percent of their players within six years of their initial enrollment, according to the NCAA’s latest graduation rate report. 

November. 24, 2003 - Knight Commission Continues Reform Efforts

Meetings Focus on Bowl Championship Series, Television Contracts and Financing of College Sports

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 24, 2003) — With reports on the financing of intercollegiate athletics, television contracts and the status of the Bowl Championship Series, a streamlined Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics met here today to resume its seminal work seeking reform of college sports.

October. 13, 2003 - Knight Commission Lauds Division I Basketball Coaches’ Meeting

Urges Adoption of Ethical Standards and a Focus on Coaches as Educators

MIAMI, Fla. (Oct. 13, 2003) - The incoming members of the reconstituted Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics have commended an upcoming meeting this week of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) called to address the recent series of scandals involving men’s college basketball coaches.

July. 15, 2002 - Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Supports NCAA Academic Eligibility Proposals

July 15, 2002

MIAMI - The co-chairs of the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics have endorsed proposed changes to the NCAA’s initial and continuing eligibility standards.

June. 26, 2001 - Knight Commission Proposes Penalties for Colleges Whose Athletes Fail Academically

10 Years After Issuing Landmark Report, Panel Finds Problems Have Worsened Despite NCAA Rule Changes; Targets Academic Improprieties, Sponsorships, and TV Contracts

June 26, 2001

Washington, D.C. – The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics today recommended that teams with graduation rates of less than 50 percent be barred from conference championships or postseason play. The sweeping recommendations, which include prohibiting corporate logos on athlete uniforms, also call for the establishment of a Coalition of Presidents representing academic as well as athletic associations to pursue needed reforms.

June. 01, 2000 - Knight Commission Will Reconvene to Review State of College Athletics

June 1, 2000

A decade after publishing a seminal series of reports that led to the restructuring of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics will reassemble to take stock of the state of college athletics.

January. 10, 1995 - Knight Commission Makes Comment on NCAA Action

Knight Leaders Hail NCAA For Backing Higher Initial-Eligibility Standards; Say Convention Vote Means Sports Reform Is “On Track”

Tuesday, Jan. 10, 1995

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Refusal by the National Collegiate Athletic Association convention to water down higher initial- eligibility requirements for athletes means “college sports reform remains on track,” according to leaders of the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

December. 16, 1994 - Knight Commission Asks College Presidents Use Their Influence at January’s NCAA Convention

Commission Asks Presidents to Reject Attempts at Rolling Back College Sports Reform

Friday Dec. 16, 1994

CHARLOTTE, N.C.,—A call went out today to U.S. college presidents and chief executives to rally once again around the cause of college sports reform by helping to reject an attempt to water down new, higher academic standards for student-athletes.

July. 24, 1991 - Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Names Names R. Gerald Turner As Member

Wednesday, July 24, 1991

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—R. Gerald Turner, Chancellor of the University of Mississippi, today was named a member of the independent, blue-ribbon Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics as the replacement for Lamar Alexander, former president of the University of Tennessee who resigned earlier this year upon his confirmation as U.S. Secretary of Education.

March. 19, 1991 - Knight Foundation Commission Says College Presidents Must Assert Control

Tuesday, March 19, 1991

The independent, blue-ribbon Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics reported Tuesday on “abuses...threatening the very integrity of higher education” and proposed a sweeping reform agenda based on university presidents’ asserting control of all aspects of college sports.