Ken McGagh/USA TODAY NETWORK
For the first time in 72 years of executive leadership, the NCAA has gone outside its own campuses or national office for a president. Given the state of affairs, this seems like a fine time to shatter the status quo and try something different.
Starting March 1, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, will be the ninth president of the NCAA. Hiring a sitting governor is a significant break from the established pattern of college administrators in that role, be they athletic directors or presidents or NCAA bureaucrats. It continues the industry trend of moving away from the kind of leaders who led it into the current quagmire.
