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College Athletic Departments Spend Three to Six Times More per Athlete Than Their Institutions Spend to Educate Each Student

The athletic departments of most public colleges and universities competing in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I sports typically spend three to six times as much per athlete as their institutions spend to educate their students, according to a new report by the Delta Cost Project at American Institutes for Research (AIR). The report,

College Football Playoff Money Includes a $300,000 Academic Incentive to Schools

The Birmingham News reported that NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision schools will each receive $300,000 annually from the new playoff format if its football team’s Academic Progress Rate score is at least 930. According to the NCAA, a 930 score indicates that the team is on track to graduate 50 percent of its players. The academic

2011 Financial Data

In its 2010 report, the Knight Commission recommended greater transparency of athletics finances for college sports noting that “real long-term progress in athletics financing across all NCAA Division I institutions requires the availability of clear, comparable, and complete financial data, together with strategies to improve accountability. The Commission also introduced new financial metrics that could

Firing a Coach, at a Price, with Little Evidence the Move Pays Off

The New York Times reported on recent moves by colleges to spend millions to replace their football coaching staff — moves  that will result in reduced funding to academics and other sport programs. The Times reported on the decision at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville to cancel the $18 million transfer the athletics department had pledged

Knight Commission’s Recommendation to Include Academic Performance as a Part of Football Revenue Distribution Process Takes Hold

Presidents and conference commissioners overseeing the new college football playoff announced a unanimous agreement to “share revenue, for the first time in college football history, based on academic performance as part of the funding formula.” USA Today reported that 10 percent of the total playoff revenue “will be tied to teams’ Academic Performance Rates (APR).

Tulane President Scott Cowen Urges Universities to Actively Overview Athletics

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported on comments by Tulane University President Scott Cowen regarding the need for collegiate athletic reform. Cowen recently served as an adviser on an Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges-issued report calling for enhanced board oversight of college athletics. “The Knight Commission did a survey of university presidents and

Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics 2011-12 Research Grants Initiative

Shaping policy and practice in intercollegiate athletics for the benefit of students and institutions Executive summary (PDF) Background In May 2011, the Knight Commission announced a new initiative to fund research on policy issues in college sports. The program was intended to enhance the Commission’s long-standing legacy of recommending policy changes to improve the management

Tribute to William C. Friday

Tribute to William C. Friday (July 13, 1920 – Oct. 12, 2012) William C. Friday, the founding co-chairman of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, died on Friday, Oct. 12. He served as co-chairman when the Commission issued its landmark 1991 report calling for reforms to produce presidential control, academic and financial integrity in college