Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker (R.) has been chosen to be the next NCAA president in 2023, the organization announced Thursday. He will assume his responsibilities in March after his term as governor ends on Jan. 5.
“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 in the release. “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. And 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. 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.”
Baker succeeds Mark Emmert, who held the position since 2010 and is stepping down. According to Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger, the NCAA wanted to make sure its next president was politically connected and targeted several governors during its search.
He is the former CEO of Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates and later Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a nonprofit health benefits company. He stepped down when he first ran for governor but lost to Democratic incumbent Deval Patrick in 2010. He ultimately won in ’14.
