Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker would be the subsequent president of the NCAA, the affiliation introduced Thursday, changing Mark Emmert as the top of the biggest faculty sports activities governing physique within the nation.

Baker, a Republican, has been governor of Massachusetts since 2015. He introduced earlier this yr he wouldn’t search re-election. He’ll begin the job in March 2023.

“The NCAA is confronting complicated and important challenges, however I’m excited to get to work because the superior alternative faculty athletics supplies to so many college students is greater than definitely worth the problem,” Baker mentioned. “And for the followers that faithfully fill stadiums, stands and gymnasiums from coast to coast, I’m keen to make sure the competitions all of us like to comply with are there for generations to come back.”

Emmert introduced he would step down earlier this yr after 12 years of main the NCAA by way of a tumultuous time.

Battered by losses in courtroom and assaults by politicians, the NCAA goes by way of a sweeping reform, attempting to decentralize the best way faculty sports activities is run.

Faculty sports activities leaders, together with Emmert, have repeatedly requested for assist from Congress to manage title, picture and likeness compensation because the NCAA lifted its ban in 2021 on athletes being paid endorsers.

Now the affiliation shall be led by a politician for the primary time.

Baker was born un upstate New York, went to highschool in Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard, the place he performed on the junior varsity basketball crew. That is the extent of his private expertise in faculty sports activities.

The final two NCAA presidents, Emmert and the late Myles Model, moved into the job after being college presidents.

Earlier than that the job had sometimes been held by former faculty sports activities directors.

However with the NCAA transferring into a brand new part and faculty sports activities changing into extra professionalized, it was clear the position of the president of the affiliation was additionally altering.

“Governor Baker has proven a exceptional means to bridge divides and construct bipartisan consensus, taking up complicated challenges in modern and efficient methods,” mentioned Linda Livingstone, president of Baylor and chairwoman of the NCAA Board of Governors. “These abilities and perspective shall be invaluable as we work with policymakers to construct a sustainable mannequin for the way forward for faculty athletics.”