Does Baker's Proposal Invite the Power 4 to Leave the NCAA and What Might Happen If It Does?

The Drake Group Education Fund Webinar Series – Critical Issues in Collegiate Athletics: Hosted by 2aDays At the highest level, the NCAA is governed by a Board of Governors, upon which the NCAA president, Charlie Baker, sits as an ex officio member. As the NCAA itself notes, “The NCAA president gets one vote on the committee, and only for the purpose of breaking a tie.” Baker took office in March 2023, and inherited several significant lawsuits regarding pay-to-play, name, image, and likeness, and health and safety issues. In response, in late 2023 Baker challenged NCAA member schools with a plan to create a new Division I tier in which schools would be required to pay a minimum number of athletes at least $30,000 annually. The proposal, although not binding, represents a new kind of NCAA leadership and implies an acknowledgement that the NCAA’s current collegiate model needs significant reform. It may also be a nod to the lawsuits working their way through the courts. Finally, Baker’s proposal raises the question of whether the NCAA governance structure itself needs reform, and if so, whether the so-called Power 4 – ACC, Big Ten, SEC, and Big 12 – conferences, will seek to secure separate and increased autonomous power within the NCAA, or leave the NCAA altogether in order to play by their own rules. Join us for this webinar where we hear experts explore the current state of NCAA governance and the future of college sports.