NCAA President Mark Emmert (C), shown Feb. 6, 2014, became the organization's fifth president on April 27, 2010. He previously was the president at the University of Washington and the chancellor at Louisiana State University. Photo courtesy of
U.S. Coast Guard Academy/Wikimedia Commons
April 26 (UPI) -- NCAA President Mark Emmert is stepping down from his position after more than a decade in charge of the association.
The NCAA announced Tuesday that its board of governors and Emmert reached a mutual agreement to have him step aside. Emmert will remain in his role until a new president is selected and in place, or until June 30, 2023.
"Throughout my tenure I've emphasized the need to focus on the experience and priorities of student-athletes," Emmert said in a statement. "I am extremely proud of the work of the association over the last 12 years and especially pleased with the hard work and dedication of the national office staff here in Indianapolis."
Emmert's decision to step down comes at a time when the college sports landscape is being transformed by name, image and likeness (NIL) rights and the transfer portal, which allows student-athletes to switch schools one time without penalty.
"With the significant transitions underway within college sports, the timing of this 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," NCAA board of governors chair John J. DeGioia, the president of Georgetown, said in the news release.
"It also allows for the selection and recruitment of the next president without disruption."
The NCAA announced in April 2021 that Emmert received a contract extension through 2025, about a month after DeGioia gave him a vote of confidence amid heavy backlash toward the NCAA about inequities during the men's and women's Division I basketball tournaments.
The NCAA ratified a new constitution in January, with the association set to undergo significant restructuring that will ultimately see it have less responsibility in management and enforcement of rules.
Each of the NCAA's three divisions currently are working on revising or instituting their own rules to align with the principles outlined in the new constitution.
The 69-year-old Emmert was named the NCAA's fifth president in April 2010. He previously served as president at the University of Washington and the chancellor at Louisiana State University.