Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to take over as next NCAA president

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has been introduced as the brand new NCAA president following his departure from workplace in January.

Baker, 66, can be succeeding Mark Emmert on March 1, 2023, after holding the Governor’s seat of Massachusetts since 2015.

The soon-to-be former Governor isn’t any stranger to collegiate sports activities. From 1977-78, Baker performed energy ahead for Harvard’s basketball crew.

For many of his profession, Baker has held varied roles in Massachusetts state authorities and has by no means held a place in any college-level administrative capability. His solely administrative place outdoors of presidency was the last decade he spent in well being care.

Baker, who holds levels from each Harvard and Northwestern, says it’s “price doing.”

“It’s massive and complex, however so have been numerous the issues I’ve accomplished in my life. More often than not, they had been completely price doing,” Baker stated in a information convention Thursday afternoon.

Baker believes he’s becoming a member of the NCAA at a “pivotal” time, because the group is remodeling the best way it runs faculty sports activities due to the authorized and political challenges to its enterprise mannequin.

Emmert, who has been the pinnacle of the NCAA since Nov. 2010, introduced he can be stepping down as president this previous April.

In April of 2021, Emmert signed a contract extension by means of 2025 however will now stay in an advisory position with the NCAA till June to assist with the transition of energy between himself and Baker.

Chair of the NCAA’s board of governors and Baylor College president Linda Livingstone was a key participant within the seek for the brand new president. As a candidate, Baker stood out from the remainder due to his observe file of constructing bipartisan relationships as governor. She hopes that Baker will have the ability to assist Congress create federal laws that can give the NCAA authorized clearance to control how faculty athletes are compensated.

“As a former student-athlete himself, husband to a former faculty gymnast, and father to 2 former faculty soccer gamers, Governor Baker is deeply dedicated to our student-athletes and enhancing their collegiate expertise,” Livingstone stated in an announcement.

Following his departure as Governor, Baker plans to attend this 12 months’s NVAA conference in mid-January in hopes he can start growing the bottom work for the group he can be head of in March.

Baker, who advised reporters on Thursday that he’s not able to reveal any particulars about particular points, reminiscent of athletes transferring between colleges and the way NCAA athletes are allowed to make cash, is thrilled to be a part of the group.

He believes the NCAA is “one of many actually biggest human potential improvement organizations ever devised.”