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Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Responds to NCAA President Mark Emmert’s Remarks on Division I Reform

Numerous media outlets have reported on NCAA President Mark Emmert’s criticism this week of the Knight Commission’s recent report, “Transforming the D-I Model.” In his State of College Sports address on January 12, Emmert, appearing to refer to our proposal to separate the sport of FBS football from the NCAA, said that some have suggested “we should even take that part that’s most entertaining and most lucrative, and carve it off the Association, set it over here and turn that into a pure entertainment industry with paid professionals.” Those comments do not accurately represent our proposal. In fact, the Knight Commission report explicitly outlines a set of principles for its proposed new governance entity for FBS football that would prohibit making FBS football players “paid professionals.”

Knight Commission Recommends a New Governing Structure for the Sport of FBS Football

[ NCAA would govern all other sports in reorganized Division I governance ]

After a year-long examination, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics called today for major governance changes for Division I sports, proposing a new governing entity for the sport of football at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, separate from the NCAA. The NCAA would govern all other sports in a reorganized Division I governance, and schools with FBS football programs would remain part of the NCAA in all other sports except football.

Knight Commission to Announce Major Recommendations to Transform the NCAA Division I Model

[ Proposed reforms will culminate year-long examination of college sports ]

On Thursday, Dec. 3, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics will release its recommendations for significant reform of the NCAA Division I model. The proposed reforms will be unveiled at the fourth and final virtual forum of the Knight Commission’s year-long examination of Division I, Transforming the NCAA D-I Model: A 4-Part Series.

Knight Commission to Release Major Survey of Division I Leaders at Forum on Oct. 13

[ Results reveal campus leaders' views on pressing issues facing college sports and proposals for transformative change ]

On Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics will release results of a groundbreaking survey of Division I campus leaders’ opinions on significant college sports reforms proposals, such as capping sports’ budgets and major reorganizations of the current Division I model. The reorganizations surveyed include creating a new NCAA division for Power 5 sports and separating FBS football into its own independent, operating entity.

Knight Commission to Seek Changes to How NCAA Distributes March Madness Revenue

[ TODAY: Commission to discuss new analysis that highlights inequities in the annual NCAA distribution formula ]

The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics today will propose in a virtual public session changes to the NCAA’s March Madness revenue distribution, which sends nearly $600 million to its 351 Division I schools every year. In addition to this direct funding to Division I schools, March Madness revenues support both NCAA operations and 90 national championships for 24 sports across all three membership divisions, which include more than 1,000 colleges and universities.

Knight Commission to Highlight Inequities in Division I Revenue Distribution at Second Virtual Forum

[ Session will feature former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and findings from a new analysis ]

On Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics will hold the second virtual forum of its four-part series on the NCAA Division I model and the need for reform. This 60-minute forum, A New Analysis of the D-I Revenue Distribution Formula Inequities, will examine the financial distributions from Division I’s two marquee events: the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and the FBS College Football Playoff.

Knight Commission Releases Guidelines and Considerations for Decisions to Reopen College Sports

The Knight Commission appreciates the gravity, urgency and uncertainty of decisions about how to reopen college sports, and recognizes that reopening college sports programs is an important leading indicator of the broader national crisis gripping higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decisions that college leaders make about whether to bring athletes back to campus and engage in training and competition should not be made in isolation but rather should go hand in hand with decisions about returning other students to dorms, classrooms and dining halls. Maintaining the safety and health of college athletes is just as vital as maintaining the safety and health of all students, faculty, staff and university administrators.