Knight Commission

===Fourth major study and series of reports: ''Transforming the NCAA D-I Model Series''===

===Fourth major study and series of reports: ''Transforming the NCAA D-I Model Series''===

"Transforming the NCAA D-I Model" was an examination of the overall [[NCAA Division I]] model, focusing especially on the impact of NCAA FBS football on D-I sports as a whole.

'''NIL''':

In April 2020, a year and a half before the [https://www.ncaa.org/news/2021/6/30/ncaa-adopts-interim-name-image-and-likeness-policy.aspx NCAA changed its rules] allowing college athletes to receive compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), the commission recommended five principles to guide the development of such policies. A few weeks later, the NCAA’s proposed new NIL rules aligned with several of the commission’s proposed principles; however, the NCAA never fully adopted its initial proposal. The commission’s principles also influenced the [https://www.uniformlaws.org/committees/community-home/digestviewer/viewthread?MessageKey=b468cc65-2316-4da1-bfca-69ca718521ae&CommunityKey=d4b8f588-4c2f-4db1-90e9-48b1184ca39a&tab=digestviewer Uniform Law Commission’s NIL Act]

'''Recommendations for Change to Governance and Structure''':

In December 2020, after a year-long examination, the Knight Commission called 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. The commission outlined its recommendations in the report,[https://www.knightcommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/transforming-the-ncaa-d-i-model-recommendations-for-change-1220-022221-update-01.pdf ''Transforming the NCAA D-I Model: Recommendations for Change''], and held four public forums, all virtually due to [[COVID-19]].

"Transforming the NCAA D-I Model" was an examination of the overall [[NCAA Division I]] model, focusing especially on the impact of NCAA FBS football on D-I sports as a whole. The commission recommended that the NCAA eliminate the current rules exemption that includes FBS football in its formula for revenue distributions from the [[NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament]], even though FBS football does not meet the NCAA's normal criterion for inclusion in this formula—an NCAA-operated national championship.

The commission presented its recommendations to NCAA president [[Mark Emmert]] shortly before releasing them publicly. The following recommendations were made:

*FBS football should be governed by a new entity completely outside of NCAA control. The proposed body, which the commission called the "National College Football Association" (NCFA) for convenience, would be responsible for all aspects of FBS football currently governed by the NCAA.

*The NCFA would be funded primarily by [[College Football Playoff]] revenues.

*D-I membership in all sports except FBS football would remain unchanged.

*With the creation of the NCFA, D-I governance would be reorganized around men's basketball, the only sport sponsored by all D-I members.

*In addition, the current D-I governance system, with voting rights weighted in favor of the FBS conferences, would be replaced by equal weighting for all D-I conferences.

'''Connecting Athletics Revenues with the Educational Model of College Sports (C.A.R.E. Model)''':

In September 2021, the commission released a major proposal to more closely connect the distribution and spending of shared athletics revenues with the broad educational mission of college athletics programs. The [https://www.knightcommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/CAREModel.pdf ''C.A.R.E. Model''] would alter the distribution criteria and uses of funds for more than $3.5 billion distributed annually by the NCAA, CFP, and Division I conferences. The report recommends altering both the distribution criteria and uses of funds for more than $3.5 billion distributed annually by the NCAA, CFP, and Division I conferences. This C.A.R.E. Model is the newest set of recommendations in the Knight Commission’s [https://www.knightcommission.org/2020/09/transforming-the-ncaa-d-i-model/ “Transforming the D-I Model” series].

The commission’s proposed requirements could be imposed either by Congress or the respective college sports governing bodies. The C.A.R.E. Model would require that five core principles guide both the distribution criteria and accountability for how shared athletics revenues are spent. Those core principles are:

*Transparency;

*Independent oversight;

*Gender equity;

*Broad-based sports opportunities; and

*Financial responsibility.

===Fifth report: ''Achieving Racial Equity in College Sports''===

===Fifth report: ''Achieving Racial Equity in College Sports''===