The NCAA Board of Governors announced on Tuesday that President Mark Emmert has stepped down. According to the press release, the decision was reached by mutual agreement.
Emmert, who turns 70 this year, will continue to serve until his replacement is found or until June 30, 2023, whichever comes first. He has been in the role since 2010 and is the fifth president of the NCAA. Previously, he served as President of the University of Washington and Chancellor of LSU.
Last April, the NCAA extended Emmert’s 2.7 million dollar contract through 2025. Board of Governors Chair John J. DeGioia endorsed Emmert’s performance at the time, despite Emmert being under fire for the disparity between the men’s and women’s DI March Madness.
In the press release, Emmert stated that he was “extremely proud of the work of the Association over the past 12 years and especially pleased with the hard work and dedication of the national office staff [in] Indianapolis.”
DeGioia said that “with the significant transitions underway within college sports, the timing of the decision provides the Association with consistent leadership during the coming months, plus the opportunity to consider what will be the future role of the president.”
In January, the NCAA ratified a new constitution that streamlines governance and reduces the responsibility of the national office. The Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules have changed the way the NCAA–and student-athletes–operates.
The announcement comes on the heels of Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick calling the breakup of Division I “inevitable” as he predicted major changes in Division I athletics in the next 10-15 years.
Indeed, major change is already on the way. Each division is currently revising their own rules in accordance with the new NCAA constitution. However, the DI Council tabled most of their pending legislation proposals at their meeting earlier this month, as the work the Transformation and Modernization Committees are doing to rewrite NCAA rules might negate any changes made now.
College sports has turned into a greedy monster, so good luck to whoever takes the job.
they need to pay him the rest of his $ and let the NCAA go bye bye now.
Unfortunately, he was not up to the challenges that faced the world of collegiate sports. He did get paid though.
Why he would go down with the sinking ship?
Good riddance