ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Myles Brand told delegates at the NCAA convention Sunday that there is a place for "common sense'' commercialism in college sports, that presidents of the institutions should control reforms, and he also decried the lack of black football coaches.

The new NCAA president, again emphasizing that the "student'' in student-athlete is one of his main priorities, made his remarks during his state of the association speech, his first address to the full organization.

Brand, a former president at both the University of Oregon and Indiana and the first sitting university president chosen to head the NCAA, told the college representatives from around the nation that his goal for the next several months is to listen and to learn.

"Good and thoughtful people have considered and debated the issues facing intercollegiate athletics today,'' he said, referring to what he called a great store of accumulated wisdom and a mountain of information with which he needs to become acquainted.

Brand does, however, already have some strong opinions about what the NCAA needs to do.

Talking about how sports -- as well as schools' business and music programs -- need commercial backing, he said, "Admittedly, there are no ironclad, specific criteria for judging when commercial interests overwhelm college sports.

"Good common sense and an open, unbiased perspective should be the tools by which we measure appropriate commercial involvement.''

He also said that the university presidents are "best positioned to change their campus' perspectives and behavior.''

"When missteps in athletic programs occur, universities are open to criticism and the presidents are the ones on the front line,'' said Brand, who drew some criticism from students and fans when he fired Bob Knight as the Hoosiers' basketball coach in 2000.

There are only four black head football coaches in Division I-A, and Brand called that "simply unjustifiable'' and said he will work to change current hiring policies.

"Another, related issue concerns access to AD and other athletics department leadership positions for minorities and women,'' Brand said. "We should not accept excuses for lack of success in these matters.''

Brand appeared to impress the group of some 1,400 that included many college presidents.

"I thought his speech was both eloquent and to the point. He listed some real challenges for the NCAA, and I think university presidents support his agenda,'' said Bob Hemenway, the University of Kansas chancellor who also serves as chairman of the NCAA's Division I board of directors.

"What I also heard was that it's easy to forget, as athletics gets so big and there is so much money involved, why we got involved in college athletics in the first place -- the purity and integrity of the game and the students who play the game.''

Dartmouth president James Wright, also on the Division I board of directors, thought Brand got off to a good start.

Wright said Brand's speech "Built on the things we discussed on the board the past several years. It directed us, and I think that's what we're eager to hear, and I think we're eager to work with him.''

Little East Conference commissioner Bill Moore, attending his 50th NCAA convention, liked what Brand had to say.

"It was a wonderful presentation, clearly presented his interest in academics as well as athletics,'' Moore said.