Baker is an unorthodox choice — most NCAA leaders come from campuses, where they've served as president or athletic director.
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Governor Charlie Baker will be the next president of the NCAA,
the organization announced Thursday morning.
Baker, who did not run for re-election, will conclude his second term as governor on Jan. 5. He’ll assume the role vacated by outgoing president Mark Emmert on March 1.
Baker is an unorthodox choice in the role because he has never served as a president or athletic director of a university. But according to
the Sports Business Journal, the NCAA focused on someone with a political background early in the process, where “Baker emerged as someone with the experience and expertise to navigate the governmental and athletic worlds that often collide in college sports.”
“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,” Baker said. “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.”