October 9, 2025, Public Meeting

General News, Meetings and Events

On Thursday, October 9, 2025, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics held its fall 2025 meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia. Senator Maria Cantwell, NCAA Senior Vice President on External Affairs Tim Buckley, Saving College Sports Founder Cody Campbell, and Athletes.org Co-Founder & CEO Brandon Copeland shared their views on federal legislation for college sports and related issues. The meeting included four sessions open to the public for observation with resources provided below for each. 

Meeting Resources

Session Resources

Senator Maria Cantwell outlines
the Student Athlete Fairness and Enforcement (SAFE) Act
Solutions in the New Division I Era

panelists:
Cody Campbell, Founder, Saving College Sports
Brandon Copeland, Co-Founder & CEO, Athletes.org

NCAA Efforts on Federal Legislation

Tim Buckley,
NCAA Senior Vice President on External Affairs
Division I Leaders Survey Results Presentation

panelists:
Amy Privette Perko, CEO, Knight Commission; 
Jason Husser, Director, Elon University Poll; 
Beth Brooke, Former Global Vice Chair, EY; Director, New York Times, Project Level,
eHealth, ULSE, and The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC); 
Peter Roby, Member, Knight Commission

Knight Commission comments on survey results
Amy Privette Perko, CEO, Knight Commission
“It’s a new era in college sports. And the candid views of Division I leaders suggest this new era could be a troubling one that could harm women’s and collegiate Olympic sports. These findings should help inform Congress as it works to build a new model for Division I sports.“ 

Len Elmore, Co-Chair, Knight Commission
“This survey presents a clear picture of a defining moment for Division I college sports,” said Len Elmore, Knight Commission co-chair. “Navigating the path forward will require difficult decisions about finances, governance and the core identity of college athletics.” 

Pam Bernard, Co-Chair, Knight Commission
“The leaders share widespread agreement that the current framework of Division I faces an unprecedented crisis of stability and sustainability.“ 

Beth Brooke, Member, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee; Member, Knight Commission
“One of the most striking findings in the DI leaders survey is the overwhelming consensus around the importance of collegiate Olympic sports. Nearly all respondents, at 93 percent, believe it is important for universities to continue offering collegiate Olympic sports such as gymnastics, swimming, track & field, and others that are non- (revenue) generating Olympic sports. Ninety-two percent of leaders also agree that these programs are vital to the success of Team USA.“

Peter Roby, Member, Knight Commission, on Division I leaders survey results
“Division I leaders are deeply concerned about finances, with 7 in 10 leaders supporting some type of spending limits. Decades of increasing revenues in college sports has shown that college sports doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem.”

 

    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. The Commission has a legacy of influencing NCAA policies that have helped propel record-high graduation rates of Division I athletes. The Commission’s ongoing efforts focus on governance, equity, and financial reforms, as well as providing education on the changing landscape of college sports. For more, visit knightcommission.org.

    About the John S. and James L. Knight FoundationKnight 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 knightfoundation.org.


    Follow Knight Athletics on social media for the latest developments from this meeting: LinkedIn | BlueSky | Threads | X

    Media Inquiries: JoJo Rinebold: jojo@rineboldresults.com