Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will be the next president of the NCAA, stepping in to lead an organization with diminished power amid sweeping change across college sports.
The NCAA announced Thursday that Baker will replace Mark Emmert as the head of the largest college sports governing body in the country, with some 500,000 athletes at more than 1,100 schools.
Baker, a Republican, has been governor of Massachusetts since 2015. He announced a year ago he would not seek re-election. His second term ends in January and he will start is new job in March.
He has never worked in college sports.
“I must say that when I was first approached about this, my initial reaction was that I was not exactly what you would call a traditional candidate,” Baker said on a video conference call with reporters.
He said his time in state government, building consensus among various constituencies, coalitions and factions, should help in leading a diverse association with a wide range of priorities.
“I certainly think the challenges here are significant,” Baker said.
He said he was approached by the NCAA’s search firm about two months ago.
“When you consider the priorities that we have right now in the NCAA, it’s hard to imagine a better fit than Governor Baker,” said Baylor President Lind Livingston, who is the chairwoman of the NCAA Board of Governors. “As a public servant, he showed a talent for working across party lines, convening Bay Staters of all types to do big things together.”
The NCAA emphasized Baker’s high approval ratings as the Republican governor of a blue state in announcing the hire. He will now become the face of an increasingly unpopular entity that has been viewed as an impediment to athletes getting a fair share of the billions of dollars generated by big-time college sports.
Emmert announced he would step down earlier this year after 12 years of leading the NCAA through a tumultuous time. Battered by losses in court and attacks by politicians, the NCAA is going through a sweeping reform, trying to decentralize the way college sports is run.
College sports leaders, including Emmert, have repeatedly asked for help from Congress to regulate name, image and likeness compensation (NIL) since the NCAA lifted its ban in 2021 on athletes being able to earn endorsement money.
Now the association will be led by a politician for the first time.