LAWRENCE — University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas A. Girod has been appointed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Board of Directors and the NCAA Board of Governors.
Douglas A. Girod
The Division I Board of Directors is the division’s top governing body, responsible for strategy, policy, legislation and management of the division. The board includes 20 presidents and chancellors, including one from each of the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences, 10 from the remaining 22 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and Division I conferences, the chair of the NCAA Division I Council, one faculty athletics representative, one senior woman administrator representative and two student-athletes.
The Board of Governors provides strategic leadership on association-wide issues that affect all three NCAA divisions. The board consists of nine voting members and seven ex officio nonvoting members, including presidents and chancellors from each division, graduated student-athletes, select leaders from the NCAA membership and independent members.
Girod’s appointments run through August 2029.
“It’s an honor to serve on these boards and to partner with peer institutions on behalf of student-athletes across the nation,” Girod said. “This is a challenging and important moment for collegiate athletics and higher education, and I’m glad for the opportunity to help ensure KU and the Big 12 Conference are represented in discussions that impact our students.”
“I’m thrilled Chancellor Girod will represent the Big 12 Conference on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and the NCAA Board of Governors,” said Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. “Chancellor Girod believes deeply in the value of athletics and higher education, and he recognizes the positive impact student-athletes have on our universities. Furthermore, he is recognized as a national leader and respected voice on policy matters impacting college athletics. The NCAA and the Big 12 will benefit from his leadership as we navigate the evolving world of college athletics.”
In addition to these appointments with the NCAA, Girod serves as vice chair of the Association of American Universities board of directors and as chair of the Big 12 Conference board of directors.
“Chancellor Girod has an established track record of successful stewardship of KU including record-setting enrollment, national designation for KU’s Cancer Center and nine consecutive years of increased research expenditures,” said Blake Benson, chair of the Kansas Board of Regents. “At the same time, he has become a national leader through his roles with the Association of American Universities, the Big 12 Conference and now the NCAA, ensuring that the University of Kansas is represented in important policy discussions and has a role in shaping the future of higher education. The Regents are grateful for Chancellor Girod’s efforts, and we look forward to his continued leadership.”