Knight Commission’s May 16 Meeting to Assess and Recommend Improvements to NCAA Revenue Distribution to Close Gender and Racial Equity Gaps

The press release, video, and other materials related to this public meeting are available here.

Meeting Resources:

On Monday, May 16, 2022, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics will meet to consider the rapidly-changing environment in Division I college sports. A public session will explore recommendations for altering the NCAA’s $600 million plus annual revenue distribution to institutions.

The public session will examine the revenue distribution reforms detailed in the Kaplan Hecker Report, an independent gender equity analysis commissioned by the NCAA Board of Governors in 2021 following the disclosure of glaring inequities between the Men’s and Women’s NCAA March Madness tournaments. The firm’s founding partner, Roberta Kaplan, will focus on recommendations related to gender inequities in the NCAA’s revenue distribution, one section of the two-volume 275-page study. The Knight Commission’s proposed financial C.A.R.E. Model, also released in 2021, similarly recommends major modifications to the NCAA’s revenue distribution to address gender inequities.

In addition, Knight Commission research consultant Christopher Brown, Ph.D. and Total Analytics Performance founder Todd Petr, former Managing Director for Research for the NCAA, will present revealing new data on the NCAA Academic Performance Fund program. Petr’s new research shows that schools with large racial graduation gaps among athletes are qualifying for financial incentives for teams’ academic performance. At the May 16 meeting, the Knight Commission will release recommendations to correct those racial inequities.

Media members can attend the meeting and a subsequent press conference, in-person or virtually by registering here. At the press conference, the co-chairs of the Knight Commission will comment on the state of college athletics, including the Commission’s reactions to looming NCAA leadership changes and the work of the NCAA Transformation Committee. Details are below.

WHERE: The Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
The State Room

WHEN: Monday, May 16, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET.

From 12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m., media will have the opportunity to take part in a press conference, in-person or virtually, and will be able to ask questions of the Knight Commission leadership.

To RSVP for the meeting and/or the press conference, click here.

WHO:

Public session to include:

  • All Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics members
  • Roberta Kaplan, founding partner, Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP
  • Christopher Brown, Ph.D., Knight Commission research consultant
  • Todd Petr, founder, Total Analytics Performance; former Managing Director, NCAA Research

Press Conference to include:

  • Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education, Knight Commission co-chair
  • Len Elmore, attorney and former NBA player, Knight Commission co-chair
  • Nancy Zimpher, Chancellor Emeritus, State University of New York, Knight Commission co-chair
  • Amy Privette Perko, Knight Commission CEO

WHAT: Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics’ spring public meeting

Follow @KnightAthletics for the latest developments from this meeting. Photographs available for media use and highlights from the meeting will be posted on this page following the event.

Media Inquiries:
Jim Rocco jimrocco@prcg.com

Cris Bruce cbruce@prcg.com

About the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics

The Knight Commission, founded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in 1989, is an independent group that leads transformational change to prioritize college athletes’ education, health, safety and success. For more information about the Commission’s impact, recommendations, and reports, visit knightcommission.org.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit kf.org.