Tuesday’s announcement that NCAA commissioner Mark Emmert would be stepping down by June 2023 sent shockwaves throughout the college athletics world. Now, leaders have begun weighing in on who could fill Emmert’s shoes—or, more precisely, who would want to.
“It’s a unicorn,” Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff said, per ESPN’s Heather Dinich. “That’s a really, really difficult job. Not an enviable one, and I’m not sure anyone would want it.”
With seismic shifts in how the transfer portal is used, and the growing impact that name, image and likeness rules have already had on programs, the regime change comes at what feels like a pivotal point in college sports. That’s why the timing for new leadership feels both apt and critical to power brokers around the country.
“There’s a major transformation going on right now,” said ACC commissioner Jim Phillips. “We’re not sure where it’s going to end up. And I think if you’re going to pass the baton to a new leader, it’s probably the right time. And I know that the board’s indicated they have all the way until next June and I think that was a very intentional decision because they want to see the work that’s being done, see where we find ourselves.”
Emmert took over the role in 2010, becoming just the fifth NCAA president in its history (though two previous executive directors essentially filled the same role between 1951-1988). Whoever takes the reins will have to balance the preferences of conference leaders, which vary from league to league.
“Will he or she simply be in charge of dismantling the NCAA? And having all the decision-making devolved to the conferences or the schools?” American Athletic Conference commissioner Mike Aresco said. “Or will that person be expected to be a transformative figure and try to get some of these issues resolved or under control? You know, NIL is not what we expected, wanted it to be. It’s the Wild West. It isn’t NIL, it seems to be buying players and making sure you retain them, and that’s not what was intended. The portal and NIL have created a perfect storm.”
It’s too early to know who will emerge as candidates for the job, but multiple prospective replacements told Dinich they weren’t interested, including SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Washington State president Kirk Schulz.
