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…
The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics met in Washington, D.C. to hear research reports from higher education experts and scholars that reaffirmed the need for different policy approaches and stronger board oversight in college sports.
Research findings highlighted the widening divide in college sports between the “haves” and “have-nots,” and its potential impact on institutional finances, student tuition and fees. The divide also reveals itself in votes on NCAA rules that impact athlete well-being, academic standards and “the collegiate model.”
The Chicago Tribune published this opinion by Knight Commission co-chairs, William “Brit” Kirwan and R. Gerald Turner, on June 14, 2012: “Major change is on its way to big-time college football after years of debate among fans, sports media, Congress and even President Barack Obama about how the sport crowns its national champion. The conference…
On June 13, 2012, the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA) endorsed the Knight Commission’s concept of revenue distribution from the Bowl Championship Series. The COIA statement follows: “The Steering Committee of the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA) welcomes and supports a proposal by the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics to implement a distribution scheme for…
Knight Commission executive director Amy Perko was one of several individuals with an opinion published in the New York Times‘ “Room for Debate” forum titled, “March Madness? What about Midterms?” Advocating policy change to emphasize the “college” in college sports has been the mission of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for more than two…
The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics has distributed a communication to all FBS presidents and conference commissioners. The purpose of the April 20, 2012 communication is to offer a new approach to distributing shared media revenues that the Knight Commission believes should be discussed and considered by FBS conferences in conjunction with the discussions currently…
Former Knight Commission member LeRoy Walker, a pioneer in sports and education, died Monday, April 23, 2012, at age 93. The Knight Commission was one of many organizations that benefited from his involvement. Dr. Walker served on the Commission when it produced its 1991 and 2001 reports. His obituary in the Raleigh News and Observer…
January 13, 2012 Knight Commission Executive Director Amy Perko visits KU The University Community Forum presents “A Dialogue on Intercollegiate Athletics in Higher Education” with Knight Commission Executive Director Amy Perko on Tuesday, Jan. 24. Perko, a former University of Kansas associate athletics director, was named Knight Commission executive director in 2005. The Knight Commission…
The Fayetteville Observer recently published an article featuring the career of Amy Perko, executive director of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. Perko will be receiving a Silver Anniversary Award from the NCAA in January. As part of the article, the Observer included discussion about the past, current, and future role of the Knight Commission. …
R. Gerald Turner, Knight Commission Co-Chairman and President, Southern Methodist University – October 27, 2011 “We commend the NCAA for taking meaningful steps toward college sports reform today,” said Knight Commission co-chairman R. Gerald Turner, president of Southern Methodist University. “We are pleased to see proposals the Commission has championed for many years be embraced…