Knight Commission to Meet on May 1 at National Press Club

WASHINGTON, April 10, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, co-chaired by Arne Duncan, former U.S. Secretary of Education, and Carol Cartwright, President Emeritus, Kent State University and Bowling Green State University, will be joined by panelists including Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby, Conference USA Commissioner Judy MacLeod, East Carolina Head Football Coach Scottie Montgomery, and other university leaders and experts. (See the complete agenda below.)

What: The Knight Commission, which promotes reforms to emphasize the educational mission of college athletics, will hear from conference commissioners, athletics directors and others about the future of college football with a focus on finances and player benefits and protections in college football; and about efforts to increase diversity in college sports leadership.

When: Monday, May 1, 8:45 a.m. –12:15 p.m. EDT.
Following the sessions, media will have an opportunity to interview and speak with panelists and Knight Commission leadership. Knight Commission Co-Chairs Carol Cartwright and Arne Duncan will hold a press conference at 12:30 EDT.

Where: Holeman Lounge at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20045
Media workroom will be available from 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Murrow Room.

Attend: Sessions are open to the media and public. To RSVP for the meeting, click here. Any additional questions, please email Chelsea Spring at [email protected].

Online: Follow @KnightAthletics for the latest developments from this meeting. Photographs and highlights from the meeting will be posted on  www.knightcommission.org following the event.

Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics: Public Meeting Agenda (Holeman Lounge)

8:45 – 10:30 a.m.  The Future of College Football: A Focus on Finances and Player Benefits and Protections

• Bob Bowlsby, commissioner, Big 12 Conference; chair, NCAA Football Oversight Committee
• Judy MacLeod, commissioner, Conference USA
• Terry Mohajir, athletics director, Arkansas State University
• Patty Viverito, commissioner, Missouri Valley Football Conference; senior associate commissioner, Missouri Valley Conference
• Don Yee, partner, Yee & Dubin Sports, LLC

10:30 – 10:45 a.m.    Break

10:45 – 12:15 p.m.  Assessing Leadership Diversity in College Sports with a Focus on Football

• Vicky Chun, athletics director, Colgate University; president, Women Leaders in College Sports; member, NCAA Football Oversight Committee
• Bernard Franklin, executive vice president, NCAA
• Richard Lapchick, director, The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport
• Scottie Montgomery, head football coach, East Carolina University
• Stan Wilcox, athletics director, Florida State University

12:30 – 12:45 p.m.  Press Conference, Murrow Room 
Knight Commission Co-Chairs Carol Cartwright and Arne Duncan will take questions from the media

About the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
The Knight Commission was formed by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in October 1989 in response to highly visible scandals in college sports. The Commission's goal is to promote a reform agenda that emphasizes the educational mission of college sports. Over the years, the NCAA has adopted a number of the Commission's recommendations including the rule that requires teams to be on track to graduate more than 50 percent of their players in order to be eligible for postseason competition. The Commission's  Athletic and Academic Spending Database provides financial data for more than 220 public Division I institutions to provide greater financial transparency on athletics spending.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit  www.knightfoundation.org.

SOURCE Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics

Related Links

http://www.knightcommission.org