Newsletter Signup
Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com
Charlie Baker will become the next NCAA president in 2023
Baker will begin his new role in March.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced on Thursday that outgoing Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will be its next president.
Baker, 66, will replace current NCAA president Mark Emmert on March 1, 2023.
Having served as Massachusetts governor for two terms, Baker will continue in his current role until Jan. 5, 2023, when Gov.-elect Maura Healey is sworn in.
“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 via the NCAA announcement. “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.”
Advertisement:
Baker’s appointment comes at a crossroads moment for the NCAA. In June 2021, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously against the organization. As a result of the case, NCAA v. Alston, the NCAA was no longer able to limit education-related payments to student-athletes.
The ongoing policy decisions that the NCAA will have to make regarding the matter — known as “name, image, and likeness” (NIL) — will be a central issue for Baker when he begins his new role.
“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,” Baker added. “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.”
Advertisement:
Baker’s background is an unusual one by NCAA standards. He has no previous experience in college athletics at an administrative level.
“He brings decades of experience spearheading transformations at high profile institutions in the private and public sectors,” noted the NCAA announcement.
His college athletics background consists entirely of his time as a Harvard basketball player. Baker, a member of the class of 1979, was on Harvard’s JV team as a freshman and sophomore before making varsity in his junior year. As a senior, he transitioned to an assistant coaching position back on the JV team.
Sorry. This form is no longer available.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com