Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman named chair of NCAA Division I CouncilI

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman is the new chair of the NCAA Division I Council, announced in a press release on Thursday.

He steps in for Lynda Tealer, who was named the NCAA’s new senior vice president of championships last month. She was previously the executive associate athletics director at Florida.

Whitman was named the Big Ten’s representative on the council in July 2023 and was elected to chair the group in last month’s meeting. He’s already taken over for Tealer and will hold his office until June 30, 2026.

Along with his role with the D-I Council, he now becomes a voting member of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, which consists of presidents and chancellors. The D-I Council is a group of 40 athletic directors, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives, conference commissioners and athletes.

“I am honored to represent the University of Illinois and the Big Ten Conference in this important role during such a transformative period in college athletics,” Whitman said in a statement. “I feel fortunate to be working alongside such talented colleagues at the campus, conference, and national levels while we work collaboratively to reshape elements of Division I.

“I look forward to embracing the challenges and changes ahead for the betterment of our student-athletes, institutions, and all those connected to college sports.”

Among the duties of the D-I Council is decision-making on future NCAA guidance. Notably, the NCAA Division I Council adopted emergency legislation in April remove the year-in residency requirement for multiple transfers and instead base their eligibility to compete on academic standards. The Council approved proposals that allow schools to provide “assistance and services” to their athletes as they pursue NIL deals.

“Josh Whitman is highly regarded across the country for the valuable industry leadership he has provided throughout his career,” Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said. “I am happy to learn he will serve as the new chair of the NCAA Division I Council and know he will do a great job on behalf of all Division I student-athletes.”