Robert Gates, ACC’s Jim Phillips among 28 members appointed to NCAA Constitution Committee

The NCAA Board of Governors announced this week the members who will comprise the committee tasked with charting the future of the organization as it prepares for a special constitution in November amid a changing landscape in college sports. Committee members will range from conference commissioners to university presidents, athletic directors and athletes from across the NCAA’s broad competitive scope.

Collectively, their task will be to “identify the core principles that define college sports and propose a new governance model that allows for quicker change without sacrificing broader values, while either reaffirming or redefining those values,” according to the announcement. Chairing the committee will be former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, a former president of Texas A&M

While a recent Supreme Court decision that struck a blow to the NCAA’s power and the changing dynamics of the NCAA’s most-visible sports such as football and basketball are driving forces behind the NCAA seeking broad changes to its mission, its clear from the committee’s makeup that stakeholders from all sports at all levels will have a voice in the conversation. 

Below is the full list of committee members appointed.

• Brad Bankston — Commissioner, Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
• Sandy Barbour — Vice president for intercollegiate athletics, Penn State.
• Dean Bresciani — President, North Dakota State.
• Greg Christopher — Vice president for administration, director of athletics, Xavier.
• Mary Sue Coleman — Former president, Association of American Universities, independent board member.
• Troy Dannen — Director of athletics, Tulane.
• John DeGioia — President, Georgetown.
• Robert Gates (chair) — Former U.S. secretary of defense, former president, Texas A&M, independent board member.
• Robin Harris — Executive director, The Ivy League.
• Chris Howard — President, Robert Morris.
• Gayle Hutchinson — President, Chico State.
• Jim Johnson — Director of athletics, Pittsburg State.
• Megan Koch — Track and field, Colorado College.
• Linda Livingstone — President, Baylor.
• Shane Lyons — Director of athletics, associate vice president, West Virginia.
• Madeleine McKenna — Volleyball, California University of Pennsylvania.
• Fayneese Miller — President, Hamline.
• Jere Morehead — President, Georgia.
• Gloria Nevarez — Commissioner, West Coast Conference.
• Jim Phillips — Commissioner, Atlantic Coast Conference.
• Julie Ruppert — Commissioner, Northeast-10 Conference.
• Darryl Sims — Director of athletics, Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
• Kendall Spencer — Track and field, New Mexico.
• Javaune Adams-Gaston — President, Norfolk State.
• Stevie Baker-Watson — Director of athletics, DePauw.
• Donald Bruce — Faculty athletics representative, Tennessee-Knoxville.
• Patrick Chun — Director of athletics, Washington State.
• Harry Stinson — Director of athletics, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania.

“Each of the appointees offers important insight on the transformation that’s needed for the future,” NCAA president Mark Emmert said. “The time is now for substantive change. And future change must focus on serving student-athletes.”