The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Co-Chairs Arne Duncan and Carol Cartwright wrote a letter to NCAA President Mark Emmert offering support, and some specific recommendations, as Emmert and the Division I governance groups work to adapt NCAA policies to the financial crisis spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The letter was sent in response to the set of waiver requests submitted by 27 Division I conferences.
In the letter, Duncan and Cartwright recognize “the necessity and the difficulty of the efforts now underway, throughout the NCAA structure and among all conferences and institutions, to make painful financial decisions that minimize any losses of student-athlete opportunities.”
The commission recommends that the NCAA be guided by three principles in considering its actions:
- The preservation of educational opportunities and prioritization of student-athletes’ health, safety and success;
- The protection of gender equity; and
- The restructuring of sports competition and related operations to reduce inefficiencies and unnecessary spending, and to improve the quality of the student-athlete experience.
Read the full letter, including the recommendations on principles and specific waiver issues.