Author: Scott Hirko

Several news outlets have reported on the NCAA’s recent action in support of the Knight Commission’s recommendation to require teams to be on track to graduate a 50-percent of their players to be eligible for post-season play. The Knight Commission recommendation was initially proposed in its 2001 report and reiterated in its 2010 report, Restoring…

Today, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors adopted a policy requiring teams to meet an academic threshold to participate in any NCAA-sponsored championship or football bowl game. The threshold requires that teams be on track to graduate at least 50 percent of their players. This policy and threshold are consistent with recommendations the Knight…

The Chronicle of Higher Education reported on the financial difficulties of the athletics department at the University of Maryland at College Park, and proposals to improve the governance process of its athletics program. The article stated that William E. Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of Maryland, announced the athletics program had run a deficit…

Knight Commission Executive Director Amy Perko appeared on NC People, UNC-TV’s longest-running program. Perko joined host William Friday, former UNC president, to discuss the Knight Commission’s efforts, the progress that has been made and the big issues facing college sports. The program can be viewed at: http://video.unctv.org/video/2057949925

The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that nearly a third of the 125 athletic departments that compete in NCAA Division I-Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) increased their spending by more than 40 percent between 2006 and 2010. The recent article also stated the median deficit of those athletics programs was more than $9 million. Other research…

An analysis by USA Today found that spending on major college athletics programs in 2010 increased by more than $470 million over the year before. The analysis stated the concern that many colleges increased spending on athletics even while they struggled with funding reductions during tough economic times. USA Today used open-records requests of 218…

In a press release from the NCAA, its most recent annual report found a widening financial gap in Division I between institutions with self-sufficient athletics programs and institutions which rely on subsidies to balance their athletics budgets. The NCAA stated that generated revenues exceeded expenses for athletics programs at 22 institutions. The report found the…