Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker will be the next president of the NCAA, the association announced Thursday. Baker succeeds Mark Emmert and takes over as the lead figure of the collegiate sports governing body at a transformational time. Baker, a Republican, is nearing the end of his second term as governor.
“We are excited to welcome Governor Charlie Baker to the NCAA and eager for him to begin his work with our organization,” said Linda Livingstone, Baylor president and NCAA Board of Governors chair, in a statement. “Governor Baker has shown a remarkable ability to bridge divides and build bipartisan consensus, taking on complex challenges in innovative and effective ways. As a former student-athlete himself, husband to a former college gymnast, and father to two former college football players, Governor Baker is deeply committed to our student-athletes and enhancing their collegiate experience. These skills and perspective will be invaluable as we work with policymakers to build a sustainable model for the future of college athletics.”
Baker will start on March 1, 2023. The 66-year-old has little noteworthy academic or athletic experience, though he did play basketball at Harvard. He should bring a degree of political savvy to the position at a time when the NCAA is seeking the help of lawmakers with legislation on name, image and likeness.
The NCAA’s desire to establish federal regulations in the NIL space is just one of the elements of change that Baker will face as he takes on the job. The proliferation of transferring through revenue-generating college sports, another round of conference realignment and discussion over potential expansion of the NCAA Tournament are among the high-profile issues in college sports at the moment.
“I am honored to become the next president of the NCAA, an organization that impacts millions of families and countless communities across this country every day,” Baker said. “The NCAA is confronting complex and significant challenges, but I am excited to get to work as the awesome opportunity college athletics provides to so many students is more than worth the challenge. And for the fans that faithfully fill stadiums, stands and gyms from coast to coast, I am eager to ensure the competitions we all love to follow are there for generations to come. Over the coming months, I will begin working with student-athletes and NCAA members as we modernize college sports to suit today’s world, while preserving its essential value.”
