Mark Emmert

Mark Allen Emmert (born December 16, 1952) is the former president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Emmert was born on December 16, 1952, in Fife, Washington and attended Fife High School, graduating in 1971.

He studied at Green River Community College in Auburn, Washington before transferring in spring 1973 to the University of Washington, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1975.

He went on to earn a Master of Public Administration in 1976 and a PhD in 1983 from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs of Syracuse University.

Non-tenured positions (Research Associate, Asst. Professor) in government and political studies 1983-85.

Emmert had various academic administrative positions at the University of Colorado Boulder (1985-92).

He has listed these on his C.V.: appointments in the Graduate School of Public Affairs as Associate/Assistant Professor, and Associate Dean responsible for daily administration of academic and student matters; Assistant to the UC System president, and an Associate Vice-Chancellor.

Emmert was a Fellow of the American Council on Education.

Emmert served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Montana State University from 1991 to 1995.

In this role, he, along with the vice president for research, Robert Swenson, led a successful effort to increase research funding at the university, including from the National Science Foundation.

He also worked with U.S. Congressional leaders to gain support for new agricultural research facilities on campus and distance learning programs.

The NCAA ruled that Montana State was guilty of a "lack of institutional control" in 1993, stemming from behavior that occurred before Emmert arrived at the university.

The ruling was reached at the time Emmert belonged to the university's senior management team, along with Jim Isch, a former NCAA official.

The case related to academic fraud involving an assistant men's basketball coach and a recruit.

The NCAA didn't rule on the case until after Emmert left for UConn in 1995.

Emmert had no involvement with the athletic programs in his role as provost and was unaware of the investigation, nor was he ever named or implicated in any wrongdoing.

Emmert joined the University of Connecticut in 1995 as Provost and was later promoted to the position of chancellor for academic affairs, where he oversaw academic matters at the main campus in Storrs, as well as the regional campuses within the university system.

He led a strategic planning effort that produced a facilities master plan for the Storrs campus, transforming the facilities on the campus with new buildings for students, faculty and research.

Enrollment and research funding both increased during this time.

During his tenure the university launched its first major fundraising campaign.

Something handwritten on Emmert's stationery in 1998 suggested he was aware of construction management challenges.

Emmert was named Chancellor of Louisiana State University in 1999.

He led the creation of the "Flagship Agenda," an effort credited with moving the university significantly forward in its standing as an academic institution, an effort that is still credited with advancing the university in very significant ways.

During his tenure the academic preparation of entering freshmen increased substantially.

Enrollment from across the country increased as well.

LSU's research profile improved as a result of new research initiatives, particularly in computer science, marine and coastal science, and basic sciences.

A number of academic construction projects commenced, including buildings and renovations for music and dramatic arts, marine biology and coastal studies, biology, residence halls, and the student union.

Emmert oversaw the first two years of a ten-year-long, $1 billion construction project, UConn 2000, that added many new academic buildings, residence halls and landscape projects to the Storrs campus, and new buildings and facilities to the regional campuses.

UConn 2000 is widely credited with transforming the university.

Some of the projects became controversial because of charges of mismanagement in the facilities and contracting services.

These issues, which included more than $100 million lost due to mismanagement and more than a hundred fire and safety code violations, did not come to light during Emmert's tenure.

The vast majority of the projects were begun after Emmert's tenure.

Emmert was previously the 30th president of the University of Washington, his alma mater, taking office in June 2004, becoming the first alumnus in 48 years to lead UW.

Some of the construction projects later became the focus of a state investigation in 2005.

Governor Rell called it "astonishing failure of oversight and management."

Two administrators who oversaw the projects during this time were placed on leave and subsequently resigned six years after Emmert had left the university.

He was the fifth CEO of the NCAA; he was named as the incoming president on April 27, 2010, and assumed his duties on November 1, 2010, and remained in office until March 1, 2023.

He left Washington on October 1, 2010, having announced his departure for the NCAA Presidency on April 27, 2010.

The University of Washington Board of Regents elected him President Emeritus in honor of his service to the UW.

Before Emmert became president of the University of Washington, he was chancellor at Louisiana State University and held faculty and administration positions at the University of Connecticut, Montana State University, and University of Colorado.