‘I am honored’: Gov. Baker to become next president of NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has tapped Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker as its next president, a role that he’ll begin in March 2023, officials announced Thursday.

“We are excited to welcome Governor Charlie Baker to the NCAA and eager for him to begin his work with our organization,” Linda Livingstone, President of Baylor University and Chair of the NCAA Board of Governors, said in a statement.

Baker, a former member of the men’s varsity basketball team at Harvard University, has served as governor of the Bay State since 2014.

“Governor Baker has shown a remarkable ability to bridge divides and build bipartisan consensus, taking on complex challenges in innovative and effective ways,” Livingstone added. “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 arrives at the NCAA at a moment of significant transformation and will succeed Mark Emmert in the new leadership role.

Baker’s history of successfully forging bipartisan solutions to complex problems stood out to the search committee as uniquely suited to the association’s present needs, the NCAA said.

The NCAA noted that Baker will be charged with building on ongoing transformation efforts. In early 2022, the NCAA ratified a new constitution, assigning greater powers of self-governance to each of its three divisions, its dozens of athletic conferences, and its member schools.

In a statement, Baker said, “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. 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.”

Earlier in his career, Baker served as CEO of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a non-profit health benefits provider.

Under Baker’s leadership, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care went from the verge of bankruptcy to 24 consecutive profitable quarters and a reputation as one of America’s top healthcare plans.

Baker will be replaced by Maura Healey when his term as governor ends on Jan. 5, 2023.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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