BOSTON - The America East Conference 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, September 16.
The grants were awarded to the six conferences through the Knight Commission’s C.A.R.E. Model program by meeting criteria for “Connecting Athletics Revenues with the Educational Model of College Sports.
“The America East Conference is honored and thankful to be one of six NCAA Division I conferences receiving the C.A.R.E. model grant from the Knight Commission this year," said America East Commissioner, Brad Walker. "America East and its member institutions have long been committed to broad-based excellence and been at the forefront of prioritizing the same education-centered values as the Knight Commission. We look forward to partnering with the Knight Commission as this funding will go a long way towards enhancing the student-athlete experience within the America East Conference.”
Along with America East, 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.
“These six Division I conferences are leaders in connecting their revenues with the education-based values that make college sports special," said Knight Commission Co-Chair, Pam Bernard. "The Knight Commission is honored to recognize them.”
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. 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.
“One of the distinguishing characteristics of a C.A.R.E. Champion conference is having gender equitable financial incentives,” said Knight Commission Co-Chair, Len Elmore. “Incentives reflect values, and the C.A.R.E. Champion conferences are to be commended for embedding their values in their annual revenue distributions."
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 ensure 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:
- Transparency
- Independent Oversight
- Incentives for Core Values of Education, Gender Equity, and Opportunity
- 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 America East
Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast.
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. The Commission has a legacy of influencing NCAA policies that have helped propel record-high graduation rates of Division I athletes. The Commission’s ongoing efforts focus on governance, equity, opportunity, and financial reforms, as well as providing education on the changing landscape of college sports. For more, 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 knightfoundation.org.
- America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -