Currently, the commission serves as a leadership group which seeks to reform college sports, primarily by promoting policies that prioritize athletes’ education, health, safety and success.
But because of its blue ribbon panel and high profile within the news media, the commission's work carries considerable influence within college sports as a whole.
In 2001, the commission issued its second major report, largely detailing what had transpired in the ten years since Keeping Faith was issued.A Call to Action: Reconnecting College Sports and Higher Education reiterated almost all of the original report's recommendations, while taking note that roughly two-thirds of the reforms recommended in Keeping Faith had been implemented to one degree or another.
It calls for strengthening accountability through transparency, rewarding practices that make academics a priority, and treating athletes as students first.
The commission reemphasized a central recommendation in its 2001 report that teams be required to be on track to graduate at last half of their players to be eligible for postseason competition.
In April 2020, a year and a half before the NCAA changed its rules allowing college athletes to receive compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL), the commission recommended five principles to guide the development of such policies.
Model would require that five core principles guide both the distribution criteria and accountability for how shared athletics revenues are spent.
As part of the commission’s ongoing commitment to advance the equity goals highlighted in this report, in February 2022, the Knight Commission announced four research projects selected to share $100,000 in research funding to demonstrate how specific interventions impact the Black athlete experience and/or Black athlete advocacy areas.
The letter highlights that for nearly two years, the Knight Commission has been engaged in a similar, sweeping examination of Division I’s governance, revenue distribution programs, NIL rules, and gender and racial equity performance.
The letter suggests incorporating several important modifications regarding governance and Board composition, and clarity on the Association’s legal liability and services.
Since 2017, the commission has made additional significant recommendations for altering the governance and distribution of the CFP’s $500 million in annual revenues.
The CFP’s managing boards have not adopted those recommendations to date, which include: As of 2024, the commission's co-chairs are Pamela Bernard, former vice president and general counsel, Duke University, and Len Elmore, attorney, former ESPN analyst and former standout basketball player for the University of Maryland, the NBA and the ABA.