Welcome
Thank you for visiting the home page of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. Since 1989, the Knight Commission has been the primary change agent in college sports reform. As a result of the commission’s efforts, significant strides have been made to reconnect college sports with the educational mission of American colleges and universities. Among the commission’s recommendations adopted by the NCAA are the following:
• Improved academic standards for athletes
• Presidential control over NCAA decisions
• The principle that at minimum, 50 percent of players on all college teams should earn their degrees.
Additionally, faculty members have answered the commission’s call to become more engaged in the academic issues involving college athletes. Many of them have become more active participants in reforming national and institutional policies.
However, much work remains to be done. The cost of intercollegiate athletics is rising much faster than other university expenses, and coaches’ salaries and facility expenses are increasing at unsustainable rates. Most colleges and universities lose money on intercollegiate athletics, and college sports are viewed by the majority of the American public as more like professional sports than amateur sports.
The pressure on teams to make money and the control television networks and corporate marketers have over college sports are separating athletics programs from the mainstream of college life and from the primary reason that sports programs exist on our campuses – to contribute to the educational experience of students.
The Knight Commission is continuing its work to restore academic values in intercollegiate athletics. On this website, you will find information about the commission’s priorities, particularly reports and updates on our work dating back to 1989. You will also find links to scholarly work and policy considerations in college sport.
Most importantly, if you are a current college student or athlete, you will find a community of peers to talk with and think about the issues you face every day as well as national issues that impact the entire enterprise of college sports. Message boards, polls, and threads will connect you with other athletes and students across the country and allow you an opportunity to provide your opinion on sports-related issues that mean the most to you. News coverage will educate you about policies and issues that impact athletes across the nation.
Please contact our staff if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about this website or the work of the Knight Commission. We look forward to working with you to safeguard an enterprise we all find uniquely valuable in higher education.
