Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will be the next president of the NCAA, replacing Mark Emmert as the head of the largest college sports governing body in the country.
Baker, a Republican, has been governor of Massachusetts since 2015.
He announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election.
He will start the job in March 2023.
Emmert announced he would step down earlier this year after 12 years of leading the NCAA through a tumultuous time.
Battered by losses in the court and attacks by politicians, the NCAA is going through a sweeping reform, trying to decentralize the way college sports is governed.
"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," said Governor Baker. "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."
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The NCAA is pleased to announce that Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has accepted an offer to become the NCAA’s next president. Read the full press release and statements here: https://t.co/CyTBmL0aw3 pic.twitter.com/reEp5RpYDE
— NCAA (@NCAA) December 15, 2022
