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 an annual meeting at the Chicago meeting in 2003.