The NCAA Board of Governors unanimously voted to extend president Mark Emmert’s contract through Dec. 31, 2025.
The news was announced Tuesday as a one-line news item buried within a larger update after the board’s quarterly meeting.
He’s the fifth president in NCAA history and has been in the role since 2010. Emmert previously held high-ranking roles at Washington, LSU, Connecticut and Montana State. His base salary is reportedly $2.7 million.
Within the announcement, the Board reaffirmed its commitment to updating name, image and likeness rules.
Emmert came under fire after disparities were shown between the men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments this year, specifically the weight room. Prior to the public backlash, the men’s tournament had a full weight room while the women’s programs had access to six sets of dumbbells, yoga mats and a single stationary bike until the Sweet 16, according to The Athletic‘s Chantel Jennings. Teams that advanced to the Sweet 16 would have access to more workout equipment than they do now, though as Jennings pointed out, it would have still been less than what the men’s teams had in their weight room.
The NCAA did, eventually, supply the women’s tournament with proper equipment.
NCAA’s Shameful Tournament Disparities Take the Spotlight From Where It Belongs
The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics sent Emmert a letter on March 19 seeking an investigation into the unequal accommodations.
“I write to express the committee’s shock and disappointment over the disparate treatment in the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament and the inequitable availability of strength training facilities. This appears to extend to limited food options and other tournament amenities,” the letter said.
“It undermines the NCAA’s authority as a proponent and guarantor of Title IX protections, and it sets women’s college athletics back across the country.”
According to a letter obtained by the Washington Post, Emmert did agree to an independent review.
“We must address the longstanding issues around gender equity to make certain that we do not see these disparities in the future and can uphold our values of inclusion and equity in the most tangible ways,” Emmert said in the letter.
“I will be calling for an independent review to closely examine the circumstances surrounding the events that transpired in San Antonio,” he said. “This review will also include an analysis of the allocation of financial and human resources, facilities, and decision-making processes and procedures to ensure that all student-athletes are equally supported at our NCAA championship events.”
The Board reportedly extended Emmert before receiving the entire gender equity review of its championships, according to The Athletic‘s Nicole Auerbach. Additionally, there are six Power Five CEOs on the board.
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