Latest Charlie Baker News

As college sports move toward pay for play, Title IX looms as another hurdle for the NCAA

Jan. 17, 2025 18:48 PM EST

A court settlement that would require colleges – for the first time – to pay athletes billions for their play is not going to settle the debate over amateurism in NCAA sports. Many schools have said that most of the up to $20.5 million they'll pay out to their athletes as part of...

NCAA adds women's wrestling as its 91st and latest championship sport

Jan. 17, 2025 15:37 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NCAA added women’s wrestling as a sport Friday, bringing its total number of championships to 91. The sanctioning body approved the addition at the annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Women’s wrestling had been under the...

Transfer portal got you down? One college AD suggests an 'acquisition fee' could fix some problems

Jan. 16, 2025 15:15 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The athletic director at a mid-sized school that's making a splash this season has a modest proposal for taming what many say is a transfer-portal system run amok in college sports. Sean Frazier, the AD at Northern Illinois — remember, the team that beat...

March Madness will pay women's teams under a new structure approved by the NCAA

Jan. 15, 2025 22:54 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Women's basketball teams finally will be paid for playing games in the NCAA Tournament each March just like the men have for years under a plan approved Wednesday at the NCAA convention. The unanimous vote by NCAA membership was met by a round of applause...

NCAA to dole out $1.2B to help pay for House settlement. Its president asks for Congress to step in

Jan. 14, 2025 22:14 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Stressing his own organization's ability to pay out $1.2 billion over 10 years to help settle an industry-changing lawsuit, NCAA President Charlie Baker also urged Congress to pass legislation that could put college sports on a better path. “When I took...

NCAA board chair says there's agreement that change is needed in how Division I is run

Jan. 14, 2025 21:18 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The chair of the NCAA board of governors says “there's a lot of agreement” that the biggest schools in Division I need more say in how they govern themselves, but the real work will come in determining how, exactly, to make that happen. Baylor President...

NCAA president says transfer portal for football still must fit academic calendars

Jan. 14, 2025 20:48 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — NCAA President Charlie Baker said Tuesday night there's plenty of time to figure out the best window for the transfer portal, hours after Football Bowl Subdivision coaches voted unanimously in favor of replacing the current two portal periods with one 10-day stretch in...

Power Four seek more control over NCAA policies, including running championship events: report

Jan. 09, 2025 19:38 PM EST

A proposal from the nation's four largest conferences would give them more authority over rule-making, policy decisions and postseason events such as March Madness, Yahoo Sports reported Thursday. The proposal, described as a “working document” ahead of next week's NCAA...

Texas sues NCAA in latest push to block transgender athletes in women's sports

Dec. 23, 2024 12:05 PM EST

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the NCAA to block the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports, arguing that it tricks and misleads fans. The lawsuit filed in state district court in Lubbock and announced Sunday, argues the NCAA...

Donald Trump said he wants to ban trans athletes from competing. The reality is more nuanced

Dec. 18, 2024 11:30 AM EST

One of President-elect Donald Trump 's most popular talking points during his campaign centered on the future of transgender athletes. Trump revisited the topic multiple times in the months and weeks before the election, suggesting at his rallies that one of the goals of his second...