INDIANAPOLIS — Outgoing NCAA president Mark Emmert mentioned Wednesday night he has “very combined feelings” about ending his 12-year tenure whereas the faculty sports activities business and its leaders are within the midst of making an attempt to kind by way of a barrage of doubtless existential points.

Emmert, who will formally step down from his publish because the affiliation’s high govt on the finish of February, was the primary witness referred to as Wednesday in a civil court docket trial to find out if the NCAA holds obligation for the demise of a former Division II quarterback who suffered a concussion whereas enjoying school soccer. It’s the second concussion-related trial for the NCAA up to now three months, and certainly one of a number of ongoing authorized points which have made Emmert and the affiliation common guests to courtrooms through the tail finish of his NCAA presidency.

The NCAA can be dealing with numerous authorized challenges geared toward making school athletes into workers of its faculties or offering different avenues for them to share in additional of the income they assist to generate.

“I have a look at all these challenges and complexities and I’ll miss that,” Emmert informed ESPN. “I like these, and I would like to be somebody who helps untangle them. However, I believe it is the correct time to make a change.”

The NCAA introduced earlier this month that former Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker would take Emmert’s place beginning in March. Emmert mentioned that he performed no position in deciding on his successor, however that he was “delighted” that the NCAA’s Board of Governors employed Baker.

Baker lately completed an eight-year time period as governor, and Emmert mentioned he has been giving Baker time to recharge fairly than making an attempt to work with him to ease the transition of management. He mentioned Baker’s political acumen might be an necessary asset for the affiliation throughout a interval during which it’s asking Congress to assist clear up a few of its authorized points.

“It is critically necessary,” Emmert mentioned. “I am certain that is a part of what the board cherished about him. He’ll be capable to transfer in that world very properly.”

NCAA board members have publicly requested Congress to create federal legal guidelines that will clearly state that athletes aren’t workers of their faculties and in addition present an antitrust exemption that will enable NCAA members to manage the evolving market for endorsement offers that has reshaped the economics of school sports activities up to now two years.

Emmert mentioned turning to Congress was a “final resort.” He believes that whereas spending some type of NCAA guidelines years in the past to manage the identify, picture and likeness endorsement market would have put school sports activities in a greater place than the place during which it at the moment sits, there was no method that he or the affiliation may have averted the necessity to flip to Capitol Hill for assist.

“It was inevitable,” he mentioned.

Wednesday’s court docket look marked what’s going to probably be the ultimate time that Emmert is compelled to testify in regards to the NCAA’s accountability for its athletes’ well being. He informed the Indianapolis jury that the affiliation has a “ethical obligation” to assist the well being and well-being of school athletes, however that legally the NCAA was not chargeable for any accidents that athletes endure whereas enjoying sports activities in class.

The case was filed by the widow of Cullen Finnerty, who received three nationwide championships and 51 whole video games because the beginning quarterback at Grand Valley State College within the early 2000s. Finnerty died in Could 2013 at age 30 after going lacking on a fishing journey along with his spouse’s household.

Attorneys for Finnerty’s widow argued that the NCAA has identified in regards to the potential long-term mind accidents that may outcome from concussions and subconcussive blows to the pinnacle for the reason that Nineteen Thirties and say the group shirked an obligation to its athletes by not warning them about these risks. They are saying that Finnerty developed an habit to opioid painkillers and different well being issues resulting from continual traumatic encephalopathy or CTE — a degenerative mind illness linked to concussions.

NCAA attorneys mentioned of their opening arguments Wednesday that Finnerty’s demise was not associated to his time as a school soccer participant, and that particular person faculties — fairly than the NCAA — are chargeable for medical care offered to athletes.

The NCAA received an identical lawsuit filed by the widow of former USC linebacker Matthew Gee in November 2022. The group below Emmert’s watch additionally agreed to spend $75 million to settle a class-action concussion lawsuit. That cash is used for a medical monitoring program for athletes and concussion-related analysis.

If the NCAA is discovered to be legally chargeable for the long-term results of head accidents that happen throughout school sports activities contests, it may pose a major monetary menace to the affiliation. The NFL, by comparability, has paid practically $1 billion to former gamers or their households to settle related claims about head accidents in recent times.

Emmert declined to reply any questions in regards to the present case or the magnitude of the menace that concussion lawsuit poses to the NCAA.