NCAA president Mark Emmert received a big pay bump
The NCAA pays well. Well, except for the players.
The NCAA’s most recent tax return shows that president Mark Emmert made in excess of $2.4 million during the 2016 calendar year, meaning he received a raise of nearly $500,000.
USA Today Sports reported on the disclosure on Thursday:
Emmert’s base salary of $2,078,075 represented a 42% increase over his base salary for 2015, or just over $615,000. His retirement and other deferred compensation for 2016 fell by $200,000 compared to the amount reported for him in 2015 and each of the prior four years.
The remainder of his overall compensation rise came in the form of taxable compensation or benefits that are neither base salary nor bonus pay; Emmert did not receive a bonus in 2016, according to the new document, which the association released Thursday. Emmert’s other reportable compensation for 2016 totaled $290,185. That’s about $70,000 more than the previous largest amount reported for him in that category.
Mark Emmert is under contract through 2020
Emmert, whose salary is determined by the NCAA Board of Governors’ Executive Committee, became the NCAA’s president in 2010. In 2016, he was given a three-year contract extension through 2020. At that time, his reported base salary was in the range of $1.3 million. As you can see, it has increased pretty significantly since then.
“Mark has done an incredible job leading the Association through an unprecedented period of change and transformation,” Kansas State University president Kirk Schulz, the chair of the NCAA Board of Governors, said when Emmert’s extension was announced. “I and the board feel strongly that Mark is integral in leading the Association forward as we navigate the complex and challenging way ahead, while better supporting student-athletes.”
An NCAA spokesperson said an independent third party is consulted when determining Emmert’s compensation.
“Members of the committee are university and college presidents from all three divisions. To assist its efforts, the Executive Committee uses an independent third party. This third party undertakes market surveys to ensure salaries of NCAA executives are similar to other comparable executive positions,” the statement said.
Emmert is the highest-paid NCAA exec
Beyond Emmert, the NCAA disclosed that 10 other executives were paid more than $450,000 in 2016, including vice president for championships and alliances Mark Lewis ($1.7 million).
Executive vice president Oliver Luck, who recently left the NCAA to become the commissioner and CEO of the XFL, was paid $855,738 that year. Before Luck joined the NCAA in 2014, he was the athletic director at West Virginia University.
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