The NCAA governance structure consists of legislative bodies made up of volunteers from member schools. These legislative bodies, as well as a group of committees, govern each division and set Association-wide policy. Committees manage topics affecting sports rules, championships, health and safety, matters impacting women in athletics and opportunities for minorities.
The Board of Governors, the NCAA’s highest governing body, consists primarily of presidents and chancellors from each division, as well as two independent members. The board provides strategic planning for the Association as a whole, such as adopting and implementing policies to resolve core issues and other Association-wide matters. The board also initiates and settles litigation, provides final approval and oversight of the NCAA’s budget and employs the NCAA president — the only national office staff member who plays an active role in the governance system as an ex officio member of the Board of Governors. The NCAA president gets one vote on the committee, and only for the purpose of breaking a tie.
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. Neither the Association-wide committees nor the Board of Governors has authority to enact legislation directly, but they can influence and provide guidance by recommending legislation to each division, where it can be reviewed through the divisions’ legislative processes.
Governance Links
How the NCAA Works
- Association-Wide: PDF
- Division I: PDF
- Division II: PDF
- Division III: PDF
- Feature Story
