Governor Charlie Baker speaks during the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial at Ashburton Memorial Park on October 28, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
Matt Stone | Group MediaNews | Boston Herald via Getty Images
The NCAA said Thursday it has selected Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker as its next president.
Baker will take up the position in March, two months after his second term as governor ends on January 5. He will succeed Mark Emmert, who has held the role since 2010.
Baker’s background in government makes him a top choice for the NCAA, which has faced a variety of issues. national legal and regulatory disputes In recent years. The organization was embroiled in a Supreme Court case last year on student-athletes compensation.
“Throughout the search, Governor Baker’s history of successfully creating bipartisan solutions to complex problems stood out to the search committee as most relevant to the current needs of the United States. NCAA,” the NCAA wrote in a press release Thursday.
Emmert will continue to advise the NCAA through June 2023.
Baker, a two-term Republican in a predominantly Democratic state, is the first NCAA president with no professional background at institutions of higher education or college sports. However, he did play varsity basketball at Harvard.
“The biggest quality he brings is his political acumen,” said Tom McMillen, president of the LEAD1 Association, which represents 131 athletic directors in the Football Bowl Division. “He understands how to build bridges not only with our schools but also with our policymakers.”
Before serving two terms as governor of Massachusetts, Baker held executive positions at a healthcare company and was the CEO of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care nonprofit.
