TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is backing the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics’ call to change the eligibility requirements and revenue distribution system for NCAA basketball postseason play.
A Knight Commission analysis released Thursday reveals that 10 of the 68 teams that qualified for this year’s NCAA men’s tournament didn’t meet the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate goal of being on track to graduate at least 50 percent of their players. Duncan and commission officials believe only teams that meet the threshold should qualify. That position is supported by the NAACP and the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Diversity and Ethics.
The Knight Commission reports that over the past five years nearly $179 million was earned by teams not on track to graduate at least half their players.
