Full Name
Charlie Baker
Title
President
Organization
NCAA
Speaker Bio
Charlie Baker became the NCAA’s sixth president in March of 2023 and has pursued a mission to improve the student-athlete experience, increase national office efficiency and advocate for college sports. In less than two years, he expanded support for student-athletes by launching a post-eligibility insurance program for all three divisions and worked with membership to enact Division I core guarantees — mandatory health and wellness benefits for student-athletes and new academic protections such as guaranteed scholarships if a student-athlete stops competing. He led the negotiation of a landmark media rights agreement with ESPN, increasing visibility for college athletes as they compete for a national championship. Additionally, Baker initiated the development of a fan database that will enhance the championship experience for all.
Baker and college sports leaders continue to enact an array of policy changes enhancing collegiate athletics oversight – including Baker’s leadership in advocating for the banning of prop bets on college sports to protect the health, safety and well-being of over 500,000 student-athletes and the integrity of NCAA competition. On his first day in the position, Baker committed to meet with individuals from every conference office annually — a first for any NCAA president — and he has been intentional about soliciting feedback from student-athletes, coaches, administrators, athletics directors and conference commissioners. Baker thinks college sports are a uniquely American treasure, provide unmatched opportunity for young people to access higher education and in turn serve as one of the greatest human development programs in the world.
Before assuming his current role, Baker served as governor of Massachusetts — winning reelection in a landslide — and was consistently ranked as the most popular governor in America. He led the commonwealth out of a billion-dollar budget deficit and into a surplus while cutting taxes and boosting investments in education and infrastructure. In addition to his two terms as governor, he has decades of experience spearheading transformations at high-profile institutions in the private and public sectors. During this time, he also co-authored “Results: Getting Beyond Politics To Get Important Work Done.”
Baker is a graduate of Harvard, where he was a member of the men’s varsity basketball team. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern.
Baker and college sports leaders continue to enact an array of policy changes enhancing collegiate athletics oversight – including Baker’s leadership in advocating for the banning of prop bets on college sports to protect the health, safety and well-being of over 500,000 student-athletes and the integrity of NCAA competition. On his first day in the position, Baker committed to meet with individuals from every conference office annually — a first for any NCAA president — and he has been intentional about soliciting feedback from student-athletes, coaches, administrators, athletics directors and conference commissioners. Baker thinks college sports are a uniquely American treasure, provide unmatched opportunity for young people to access higher education and in turn serve as one of the greatest human development programs in the world.
Before assuming his current role, Baker served as governor of Massachusetts — winning reelection in a landslide — and was consistently ranked as the most popular governor in America. He led the commonwealth out of a billion-dollar budget deficit and into a surplus while cutting taxes and boosting investments in education and infrastructure. In addition to his two terms as governor, he has decades of experience spearheading transformations at high-profile institutions in the private and public sectors. During this time, he also co-authored “Results: Getting Beyond Politics To Get Important Work Done.”
Baker is a graduate of Harvard, where he was a member of the men’s varsity basketball team. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern.
