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First of Its Kind Survey Reveals Dilemma of Reform

[ Sessions and video on presidential survey; experts on educational values and commercial landscape of college sports ]

The Knight Commission released the results of a presidential survey on the costs and benefits of intercollegiate athletics. An interactive, Web-based report, College Sports 101, that provides an overview of the business and economic landscape of college sports was also released. Potential solutions as well as an assessment of whether the current structure is equipped to address the mounting challenges were discussed with experts.

California Spending on College Sports Facilities Despite Cuts to Higher Education

In an article published by USA Today, the paper reported about the tension between academic and athletics as a result of significant state funding cuts to the University of California (UC) system. The UC system is facing $813 million in cuts, including $150 million at the UC-Berkley campus, while at the same time more than…

Highlights

“There is no correlation between spending more on athletics and winning more . . . [and] increased spending on coaches’ salaries has no significant relationship to success or increased revenue.” Athletics events, where students, faculty, administrators and alumni gather, are the “front porch” for a university. Winning teams don’t engender lasting increases in applications or…

Meeting Spotlight

In preparation for the 20th Anniversary meeting on October 26, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics created a commemorative video highlighting different perspectives about the Commission’s contributions to college sports. Multimedia Links: 20th Anniversary Video History of the Knight Commission

Study Shows Increased DI Spending on Academics

On October 2, 2009, the NCAA reported that spending on academic support for student-athletes remained steady or increased at nearly 92 percent of Division I institutions since 2007, despite the national economic downturn. The study found that most schools experienced between a 1 to 20 percent increase in total spending on academic programs over the…

Knight Commission to Release Major Findings of University President Survey on Financial State of College Athletics

KNIGHT COMMISSION TO RELEASE MAJOR FINDINGS OF UNIVERSITY-PRESIDENT SURVEY ON FINANCIAL STATE OF COLLEGE ATHLETICS AT 20th ANNIVERSARY MEETING First-of-Its-Kind Study and Related Reform Issues to Be Examined by Commission at October Meeting in Miami WHO: The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics co-chaired by William E. “Brit” Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland, and R.…

The Future of the NCAA

An article in the New York Times discusses the future direction of the NCAA after the death last month of its president, Myles Brand. The Times focuses on ethical challenges within intercollegiate athletics that result in the tension between athletics and academia: commercialism, escalating salaries, Title IX, and the length of playing seasons. In comparison…

NCAA Enhances Use of Data in Academic and Financial Reform

The New York Times recently published an article profiling the NCAA’s increasing openness toward collecting and sharing data from its member institutions in efforts toward academic and financial reform of intercollegiate athletics. The article credits the NCAA’s late president, Myles, Brand, who pushed for better decision-making based on facts and enhanced efforts at data collection.…

Growth in Sports Gifts May Mean Fewer Academic Donations

The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that fundraising contributions to to college sports programs are increasing at significant rates, particularly as larger shares of overall donations to colleges. According to the Chronicle, the country’s largest athletics departments and booster  clubs raised more than $1.2 billion in 2006-2007, with some athletic programs tripling their annual fundraising…

Concerns About College Debt from Athletics Facilty Construction

The recent boom in construction of major athletics buildings has had a significant impact on college debt loads, according to an article published on September 28 by the Chronicle of Higher Education. According to the Chronicle, from 2003-2008, the nation’s largest athletic departments raised nearly $4 billion in private donations to finance capital projects. Although…