Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker chosen as next President of the NCAA

Charlie Baker is currently the governor of Massachusetts. He's getting ready to vacate the office, having opted not to run for re-election in 2022. Even despite being ranked as one of the most popular governors in the United States.

Also soon to be leaving his job is Mark Emmert. Emmert has been president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association since 2010. Also including two Canadian members, the NCAA is the largest organization of college and university athletics in America.

It has also apparently chosen a successor to Emmert.

Baker set to become new NCAA president

Charlie Baker is to become the president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, indicates The Hill. He's expected to take over his new role about two months after his term as governor expires. Emmert is slated to stay on in an advisory role for the first few month's of Baker's presidential tenure.

For his part, Baker says he'll be joining the NCAA at a "pivotal" time. In recent years, there have been significant developments regarding players' rights. Such making it easier to transfer to another school.

But the biggest shake-up has almost undoubtedly been allowing players to sign endorsement deals.

Baker is a moderate member of the Republican party. Receiving national attention in recent years for being a staunch critic of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Baker first ran for governor of Massachusetts during the 2010 election cycle. He would lose in a three-way race to Democratic incumbent Deval Patrick.

Baker would fare better in 2014. In that year's gubernatorial race, he defeated the Democratic nominee, State Attorney General Martha Coakley. Four years later, he was re-elected in a landslide over Democrat Jay Gonzalez, former Patrick administration Cabinet member. Democratic State Attorney General Maura Healey easily won the race to follow Baker as governor.

Is a former NCAA athlete

Charlie Baker is a native of Elmira in central New York. He's the latest member in his family line with the name 'Charles Baker' to go into politics. Including his father, who was a member of two U.S. Presidential administrations.

Baker's family later moved to Needham and to Rockport in the Boston region of Massachusetts. He graduated from high school in Needham, where his class included future New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. Afterward, Baker enrolled at Harvard University. As noted by ESPN, Baker was also a basketball player with Harvard. He received a bachelor's degree from Harvard. Later followed by an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Eventually, Baker served in the Cabinets of Massachusetts Governors Bill Weld and Paul Cellucci.

One of Baker's fellow students at Northwestern was named Lauren Schadt. Schadt, a volleyball player, was also an NCAA athlete. She and Baker have been married since 1987.