A major report has been released that is urging the NCAA and universities aligned with the College Football Playoff to increase the amount of revenue in "national initiatives supporting the health and safety of football players and in programs to increase diversity among football coaches."

According to the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, the CFP must "demonstrate national leadership on health and safety issues" and also "step up to address the shortage of diversity in coaching in Football Bowl Subdivision" as well as men’s and women’s DIv. I hoops.

The Knight Commission — formed in 1989 to promote reforms that support and strengthen the educational mission of college sports— has released data that highlight the need for more financial health support as well as the continuing lack of diversity in Division I football as well as men's and women's basketball.

"It's time for the CFP to demonstrate national leadership on health and safety issues and to step up to address the shortage of diversity in coaching in FBS college football," Arne Duncan, Knight Commission co-chair and former U.S. Secretary of Education, said in a statement.

Also via the Knight Commission, "While there have been pockets of improvement, diversity among coaches hasn't increased much since 2007-08, the earliest year with comparable data."

"As a starter — and as a bare minimum that would grow over time — the Knight Commission would like to see at least one penny of every dollar in CFP revenue allocated for programs to develop a deeper and more diverse talent pool in college football coaching," said Duncan. "We would encourage presidents and athletics directors to seize the opportunity to boost diversity and make this a real priority."

The Commission said that if its recommendation had been in place last year, the CFP would have devoted $4.3 million to support diversity programs — the same amount that four schools alone paid in bonuses to their football coaches for their teams' participation in the 2016 CFP games.

Last year, the NCAA spent under $200,000 on professional development programs for minority football coaches using its March Madness basketball tournament revenues.

Regarding health issues, according to the Knight Commission, CFP revenues are currently distributed back to schools that compete in the FBS.

"While some of these funds are used to support athletes' education, including athletic scholarships and medical care and expenses at the campus level, the Commission believes a meaningful portion of CFP revenues should be used to bolster national initiatives critical to the future health of football," the Commission reported.

At its meeting last spring, the Commission called on the NCAA to increase the "restricted uses" of the funding it provides to schools so that such funding is used solely for athletes' education or their health and safety benefits and protections.

The Commission during its meeting late last week commended the NCAA's "one-time distribution of $200 million last month to college athletics departments, in amounts ranging from $165,000 to more than $1.3 million, with the proviso that the funds had to be used for 'the direct benefit' of college athletes."

The Knight Commission said that the NCAA does currently funds national health and safety initiatives, including those of special importance to football, such as national studies of concussions in college sports. A recent rule change, effective this fall, would eliminate the pre-season football tradition of two contact practices a day. Contact practices would be limited to one a day, with additional restrictions on other activities during the pre-season.

Also, under a proposed settlement of a class-action concussion lawsuit, the NCAA will spend $70 million to set up a medical monitoring program for current and former college athletes, and $5 million to research the prevention and treatment of concussions.

The Pac-12 Conference is the only FBS conference to set aside a portion of its CFP funds toward research that impacts athlete health and well-being, per the Knight Commission.

Regarding the issue of diversity in college football among FBS (formerly Div. I) programs, more than 83% of head coaches are white while 10% are black and under 7% are of other non-white designation, including Hispanic and Asian, according to data provided by the Knight Commission.

In 2007, more than 93% of head coaches were white, 5% were black, nearly 7% were Hispanic or Asian.

Concurrently, less than 38% of athletes in FBS programs are white while more than 48% are black and another 14% Hispanic, Asian or of other ethnic origin.

In Div. I men’s basketball, nearly 72% of head coaches are white and 26% black, while 25% of the athletes are white, more than 57% black and more than 17% Hispanic, Asian or of other ethic backgrounds.

In 2007, 70.5% of head coaches were white, 28.3% were black.

"We're heartened by the NCAA's action," said co-chair Carol Cartwright, "but we would like to see that practice become the norm."

Back to Home Page