The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced on Thursday that outgoing Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker will be its next president.
Baker, 66, will replace current NCAA president Mark Emmert on March 1, 2023.
"We are excited to welcome Governor Charlie Baker to the NCAA and eager for him to begin his work with our organization," Linda Livingstone, Baylor University president and chair of the NCAA Board of Governors, said in a statement. "Governor Baker has shown a remarkable ability to bridge divides and build bipartisan consensus, taking on complex challenges in innovative and effective ways. As a former student-athlete himself, husband to a former college gymnast, and father to two former college football players, Governor Baker is deeply committed to our student-athletes and enhancing their collegiate experience. These skills and perspective will be invaluable as we work with policymakers to build a sustainable model for the future of college athletics.
Baker, a Republican who has been governor since January 2015 but will conclude his second term in January, will begin his new post March 1. He played power forward for Harvard's basketball team during the 1977-78 season, but has no previous collegiate administrative experience. He has spent most of his career in Massachusetts state government but spent a decade in health care administration. Baker, 66, holds degrees from both Harvard and Northwestern.