The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics held discussions on academic reform, potential changes in the basketball playing season, and changes to penalties for violating National Collegiate Athletic Association rules. The Commission called on the NCAA to shorten the season to reduce the number of missed classes and stress on players. It also commended the association’s academic performance program, but noted that a complex waiver process is threatening to weaken standards designed to hold programs responsible for the academic progress of their players.

October 15, 2007 - Faculty Summit on Intercollegiate Athletics
The summit included a presentation of findings from the Faculty Perceptions of Intercollegiate Athletics Survey. The survey presentation served as the context for panelists and interactive sessions relating to the role of faculty engagement in athletics issues, faculty governance, academic integrity, case studies of athletics crises, and strategies for faculty to consider.

On the heels of the NCAA’s announcement that 112 Division I teams will be penalized for failing to meet minimum academic performance standards, and are aware that tougher times are ahead, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics strongly urged college presidents to resist pressure to weaken the reforms. The Commission heard and discussed an NCAA report on Division I academic performance standards and also heard Big 12 Commissioner Kevin Weiberg discuss sweeping rules changes addressing academic underperformance by baseball players. Also at the meeting, NCAA officials released financial data showing that only 7 percent (22 of 313) of Division I athletics departments generated more money than they spent when institutional subsidies such as student fees are excluded—contrary to the public perception that athletics departments generate profits for their institutions.

January 21, 2007
The session reviewed the state of gender equity in intercollegiate athletics, 35 years after the passage of Title IX; the recruiting environment and process and whether its current state is healthy for prospects, coaches, and institutions; and, academic values in the recruiting process.

 

January 2006: Summit on the Collegiate Athlete Experience
The focus of the summit was academic reform through the eyes of students and athletes. What standards should a college adopt to determine when commercialism in funding research or athletics is too much? Is it only dollars that matters in the search for knowledge? Intercollegiate athletics as a subset of academe also has values.  The summit also investigated behavioral issues relating to students and athletes.

 

June 26, 2001

The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics today recommended that teams with graduation rates of less than 50 percent be barred from conference championships or postseason play. The sweeping recommendations, which include prohibiting corporate logos on athlete uniforms, also call for the establishment of a Coalition of Presidents representing academic as well as athletic associations to pursue needed reforms.