The Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, after working for over three years to restore integrity and public confidence to college sports, has a mixed reputation as an effective force for change and supporter of the status quo. Most agree it has at least served as a catalyst for change. (MSE)

Women in college athletics are finding that homophobia is widespread and that identification as a lesbian can damage their careers. It is common practice to label a coach a lesbian either to minimize complaints about sex discrimination in program funding or to draw prospective athletes away from her program. (MSE)

A philosophy professor who supports college athletics battles to maintain credibility among his academic peers. His interest is in adding balance to criticism of college sports and calling attention to positive aspects such as teamwork and discipline. The professor also teaches a seminar in ethics for first-year athletes. (MSE)

A $1.75-billion contract giving one television network the rights to broadcast National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's basketball for eight years is greeted with nonchalance. Concerns focus on interinstitutional and interleague competition, the future of sports advertising, and how the revenues will be spent. (MSE)

According to a recent study, black athletes are entering National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I colleges at higher rates than before the 1985 imposition of toughened academic standards. Some still find the new rules discriminate against blacks and others from disadvantaged backgrounds. Even stricter rules will take effect in…

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' recommendation that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill place the athletics program solidly in the control of the university, rather than the booster organization, signaled the accrediting agency's willingness to crack down on college sports programs. (MSE)

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has recently introduced nine new sports to intercollegiate athletics: team handball, archery, badminton, bowling, crew, ice hockey, squash, synchronized swimming, and water polo. The initiative is intended to encourage colleges to create more athletic opportunities for women. It sets scholarship limits…

Results of an annual National Collegiate Athletic Association survey provide information on the two-year persistence rate of freshman scholarship athletes in Division II and III institutions. Persistence data are presented for Division II 1991-92 freshmen (all students and scholarship athletes) by gender and racial/ethnic group. (MSE)

A federal district court has ruled that Brown University (RI) discriminates against its women's athletics programs, in violation of federal law. The university's stance on the law, which questions government interpretation, has been controversial. The suit was brought by nine female athletes seeking reinstatement of gymnastics and volleyball…

Some colleges are giving substantial raises to women's athletic team coaches, sometimes reducing mens' team coaches' salaries to provide equity. Court litigation, activism by several national coaches' organizations, and debate over federal laws keep the issue in high profile. (MSE)

A National Collegiate Athletic Association report on athletes' graduation rates provides data that can support either side of the debate over academic standards. Rising academic requirements for incoming athletes may cause higher graduation rates, but may also force blacks out of sports in disproportionate numbers. Graduation data for 1987-88 and…