The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports recently released a report that says there was a 30 percent increase in the number of diverse employees hired at the executive level in the NFL this past year, giving the league its second straight “A” for diversity hiring. The NFL also received a “C” in gender hiring for an overall “B” grade.

The study, which was done by Richard Lapchick, showed the NFL has continued to institute programs geared toward attracting minorities and women who are looking to move into leadership roles in the main office and at the team level.

"I've never seen that much change at the top of an organization, especially in pro sports,'' Lapchick told the Associated Press. "You usually see it at the entry level and at midlevel positions. It's a really positive sign that changes should come even faster at the league level.''

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