Knight Commission Release
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Patriot League has been selected as one of six Division I conference recipients of the C.A.R.E. Model Conference Grant, as announced by the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics on Tuesday.
The grants were awarded to the six conferences for meeting criteria for C.A.R.E. (Connecting Athletics Revenues with the Educational Model of College Sports).
“The Patriot League and our membership are truly honored to be recognized by the Knight Commission as C.A.R.E. Model Grant recipients,” Patriot League Commissioner Jennifer Heppel said. “This distinction highlights our commitment to maintaining a student-centered approach to athletics, where prioritizing academic success and personal development is paramount to all that we do. We are grateful for the recognition and reward and look forward to continuing to lead by example in promoting the C.A.R.E. Model in a way that benefits our student-athletes and our member institutions.”
The America East Conference, the Patriot League, and The Summit League are recipients of $25,000 C.A.R.E. Model Conference Grants. In addition, three inaugural C.A.R.E. Champion Conferences, the Big Sky Conference, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and The Southern Conference, continue as C.A.R.E. Champions for a second year and each receives a $10,000 continuation grant. The financial awards recognize and support each conference’s commitment to the C.A.R.E. Model principles in their distribution and use of shared athletics revenues.
Knight Commission Co-Chair Pam Bernard said, “These six Division I conferences are leaders in connecting their revenues with the education-based values that make college sports special. The Knight Commission is honored to recognize them.”
“One of the distinguishing characteristics of a C.A.R.E. Champion conference is having gender equitable financial incentives,” said Len Elmore, Knight Commission Co-Chair. “Incentives reflect values, and the C.A.R.E. Champion conferences are to be commended for embedding their values in their annual revenue distributions.
Among other criteria, the gender equity incentive standard requires that if a conference financially rewards team success, such as postseason performance, the rewards must be provided equally for the success of men’s and women’s teams. For example, the Commission’s C.A.R.E. Champions will reward March Madness victories by women’s basketball teams at a dollar level equal to that of their men’s teams.
The C.A.R.E. Model (Connecting Athletics Revenues with the Educational Model of College Sports) financial framework was created to assist conferences and national entities in bolstering accountability and ensuring that both the distribution and spending of shared athletics revenue prioritize supporting college athletes’ education, health, safety, well-being, equity, and opportunity. This holistic model supports the educational mission and includes four universal principles and requirements:
1. Transparency
2. Independent Oversight
3. Incentives for Core Values of Education, Gender Equity, and Opportunity
4. Financial Responsibility for Education, Health, Safety, and Well-Being
Each conference can use its C.A.R.E. Model Conference Grant to implement the principles and educate institutional leaders, staff, college athletes, and other stakeholders about how this new framework positively impacts student-athletes' experiences.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.
ABOUT THE KNIGHT COMMISSION ON INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
The Knight Commission, founded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in 1989, is an independent group that leads transformational change to prioritize college athletes’ education, health, safety, and success. For more information about the Commission’s impact, recommendations, and reports, visit knightcommission.org.
ABOUT THE JOHN S. AND JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit kf.org.