The Knight Foundation of Akron, Ohio, has created a national commission to spur reform of big-time intercollegiate athletics.
The commission will be chaired by the Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, the retired president of the University of Notre Dame, an institution noted for both its academic and athletic success. Also named to the commission last month were William C. Friday, president emeritus of the University of North Carolina, and Richard D. Schultz, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Officials of the Knight Foundation expect the rest of the commission members and a staff will be in place by Jan. 1. The panel is expected to make recommendations to the ncaa within 12 months. The work of the commission is expected to cost about $2 million.
Problems cited by critics of college athletics include violations of ncaa regulations regarding recruitment of high-school students, over-commercialization of college sports, an emphasis on winning at all costs, and a generally poor record of educating student-athletes.
