The Drake Group was founded in 1999 when Jon Ericson, a former professor and provost at
Drake University, invited a distinguished group of college faculty, authors, and activists to a
twenty-four-hour think tank in how to end academic corruption in college sport. Included in the
conference were members of faculty senates, journalists, athletic directors, and members of
organizations such as the NCAA and the Knight Foundation Commission on Collegiate Sport. Out
of the meeting emerged an organization initially called the National Association of Faculty for
Collegiate Athletic Reform (NAFCAR). The organization changed its name to The Drake Group in
2000 and also adopted bylaws and elected officers. The group’s mission and goals were
formally defined at the 2003 annual meeting in Chicago.

Corporate History. The Drake Group, Inc. was incorporated on 9/16/13 as a Connecticut
Nonstock Corporation through a 9/6/13 certificate of incorporation (the “C/I”), which was filed
with the Connecticut Secretary of State on 9/6/13. The governing statute for the corporation is
the Connecticut Revised Nonstock Corporation Act (the “Act”) under Connecticut General
Statutes (“C.G.S.”), 33-1000 et seq. The Drake Group received its 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status on
6/23/14. No part of any funds contributed by individuals to a (c)(4) organization, whether as
membership dues, donations, contributions, or gifts, can be claimed as a tax deduction by the
contributor. The 501(c)(4) status allows the Drake Group to engage in political lobbying and
other advocacy activities, but not to contribute to political candidates.

Establishment of The Drake Group Education Fund. In September of 2022, The Drake Group
established a sister organization, The Drake Group Education Fund (TDGEF), under the fiscal
501(c)(3) sponsorship of the Players Philanthropy Fund (PPF). PPF will host the Drake Group
Education Fund until the new organization’s application for its own 501(c)(3) status is approved.
Taking this action better positions The Drake Group to focus on its priority mission of
influencing Congress and other legislative policymakers to address the serious academic,
health, and economic crises in intercollegiate athletics.

The new Education Fund will focus on growing education programs. Given the 2022 successes
of the inaugural The Allen Sack National Symposium – Advancing Integrity in College Sport and
our webinar series on critical issues in college athletics, all of The Drake Group’s educational
and research assets were gifted to the Education Fund which will continue The Drake Group’s
decades of work on producing quality research and education materials – intellectual product
for which The Drake Group is best known. The Fund will become the public education arm
working to influence the public discourse on the need for college sport reform. The Education
Fund’s PPF fiscal sponsorship also allows all donations and grants to the Fund to be tax
deductible and makes the Fund eligible for grants from private foundations.
During the summer of 2023, TDG and TDGEF finalized a formal memorandum of cooperation
and a shared services agreement in order to construct appropriate financial and conflict of
interest firewalls related to the operation of two independent organizations committed to
advancing the same philosophical leadership related to solving critical issues confronting
intercollegiate athletics and advancing the education and the well-being of college athletes.

Presidents of The Drake Group

Years	President	Institution
2025-2026	Kassandra Ramsey	Esq. Law Office of Kassandra Ramsey, P.L.L.C.
2024	David C. Hughes, Ph.D.	Gordon College
2023-2024	Donna Lopiano, Ph.D.	Southern Connecticut State University
2022-2023	Andrew Zimbalist, Ph.D.	Smith College
2020-2022	Donna Lopiano, Ph.D.	Southern Connecticut State University
2019-2020	David Ridpath, Ed.D.	Ohio University
2018-2019	Fritz Polite, Ph.D.	Shenandoah University
2016-2018	David Ridpath, Ed.D.	Ohio University
2014-2016	Gerald Gurney, Ph.D.	University of Oklahoma
2012-2014	Allen Sack, Ph.D.	University of New Haven
2010-2012	Jason Lanter	Kutztown University
2008-2010	Katie Otto	Western Carolina University
2006-2008	David Ridpath	Ohio University
2004-2006	Lynda Bensel Myers	University of Tennessee
2000-2004	Jon Ericson	Drake University