University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank was appointed to the NCAA Board of Governors for a four-year term Sept. 25.
The NCAA’s Board of Governors is composed of presidents and chancellors from all three divisions. Chancellor Blank will be the only member from the Big Ten Conference on the board of 25 appointees, according to the board’s roster.
Blank spoke about the appointment in a press release.
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“This is a time of great complexity and challenge for colleges and universities,” Blank said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to address the many important issues affecting our student-athletes and our athletic programs.”
The Big Ten is the leading conference for Academic All-America with more than 1,800 honorees, according to the press release. All 14 schools in the conference are within the top 65 universities in the nation, as of the 2017 Academic Ranking of World Universities. UW specifically was ranked No. 18 in the world.
Before Blank, the board’s most recent appointment was former U.S. Secretary of Defense and CIA Director Robert Gates for a three-year term in August.
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The NCAA Board of Governors oversees matters regarding championships, health and safety, women in athletics and opportunities for minors, according to the NCAA’s website.
“All association-wide governing bodies are charged with upholding and advancing the Association’s core values of fairness, safety and equal opportunity for all student-athletes,” the NCAA said.
The board’s most recent activity has been surrounding protocol for reopening sports for the upcoming winter season. The board released health and safety guidelines for college basketball amidst the COVID-19 pandemic Sept. 25.
