Drake University’s athletic director will participate in a high-profile panel discussion in Washington, D.C., on the fundamental principles that guide college sports and the treatment of student-athletes.
Sandy Hatfield Clubb will speak alongside the former commissioner for the Big 12 athletic conference and the chief of sport performance for the United States Olympic Committee, among other leaders in intercollegiate athletics.
The panel, which is organized by the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, will be held Sept. 8. Hatfield Clubb and other participants each will speak for 8-10 minutes, following a presentation by the NCAA’s chief medical officer, Brian Hainline, on the association’s initiative to study concussion and head impact exposure in college football; new medical care guidelines for athletes; and future health and safety initiatives.
The panel will focus on potential new approaches for the next era of college sports. Hatfield Clubb will advocate for a core focus on the academic value of intercollegiate athletics in higher education and the importance of an intentional culture of accountability.
“We’re going to look back on this period of time and be able to point to it as a space in history that changed the direction of intercollegiate athletics,” says Hatfield Clubb. “Whatever form these changes may take, Drake Athletics will maintain its focus on college sports as one of the very best training grounds for future leaders in business, education, non-profits, medicine, or any other field where our students’ passions reside. We ask the question, why should we spend money on college athletics if learning outcomes are not an intentional part of the process?”
The Knight Commission works to ensure that intercollegiate athletics programs operate within the educational mission of their colleges and universities, through reform proposals related to the NCAA’s academic standards for student-athletes, governance of NCAA leadership, campus engagement and accountability, team accountability for academic performance, and financial transparency.
The Knight Commission’s news release is below.
—
KNIGHT COMMISSION TO DISCUSS NEW APPROACHES FOR THE
NEXT ERA OF COLLEGE SPORTS ON SEPT. 8 IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
New and future health and safety initiatives will be featured
Who: The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, co-chaired by William E. “Brit” Kirwan, chancellor, University System of Maryland, and R. Gerald Turner, president, Southern Methodist University, will be joined by Brian Hainline, chief medical officer, NCAA; Oliver Luck, director of athletics, West Virginia University; Alan Ashley, chief of sports performance, USOC; and others.
What: The Knight Commission continues its public examination of important policy issues involving college sports, including new health and safety initiatives. Knight Commission members and panelists will also discuss ideas and principles that could help guide future changes in college sports and the treatment of athletes. See agenda below for more information.
When: Monday, Sept. 8, 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. EDT
Media will have an opportunity to interview and speak with presenters and Commission co-chairmen at the conclusion of the final session.
Where: The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown
Fahrenheit Ballroom, 3100 South St., NW, Washington, D.C.
Attend: Sessions are open to the media and public. To RSVP for the meeting, contact Francesca.Ernst@widmeyer.com
Follow: 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
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. New Health and Safety Initiatives for College Athletes
This session will feature discussion of the NCAA’s concussion research project, new medical care guidelines, and future health and safety initiatives.
Presenter: Brian Hainline, chief medical officer, NCAA
11:30 – 11:45 a.m. Break
11:45 – 1:30 p.m. Potential New Approaches for the Next Era of College Sports
This session will explore ideas and principles that could help guide future changes in college sports competition and treatment of athletes.
Panelists:
- Alan Ashley, chief of sport performance, USOC
- Dan Beebe, president, Dan Beebe Group; former commissioner, Big 12 Conference and Ohio Valley Conference
- Sandy Hatfield Clubb, director of athletics, Drake University
- Mike Gilleran, executive director, Santa Clara University Institute for Sports Law and Ethics; former commissioner, West Coast Conference
- Oliver Luck, director of athletics, West Virginia University
1:30 p.m. Public Sessions conclude
About the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics
The Knight Commission was formed by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in October 1989 to promote a reform agenda for college sports. The Commission’s efforts aim to ensure that intercollegiate athletics programs operate within the educational mission of their colleges and universities. Over the years, a number of Commission recommendations have been adopted, including the requirement that 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 offers financial data for more than 220 public institutions to provide greater financial transparency on athletics spending. More information about the Commission, including its prior reports and recommendations, can be found at www.knightcommission.org.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
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. www.knightfoundation.org.