IRVINE, Calif. – The Big West has announced that UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla has been selected by The Big West Board of Directors to represent the conference on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors is the top governing body for Division I, responsible for strategy, policy, oversight of legislation and management of the division. The Board is comprised of 20 presidents and chancellors; 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.
 
Khosla, UC San Diego's chief executive officer since 2012, begins his term on August 7, 2024, shortly after the university completes its mandated four-year transition from NCAA Division II to Division I. UC San Diego's transition is complete on June 30, 2024, making the Tritons eligible for post-season play in The Big West and at the NCAA level. Khosla's appointment to the Board of Directors runs through August 2028.
 
"In this extraordinary time of change in intercollegiate athletics, it is important for The Big West to have a seat at the table as transformative legislation is discussed and acted upon," remarked Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly. "To have a leader like Chancellor Khosla on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors is a significant opportunity for The Big West as we know he is both a champion for athletics and a respected voice on the national stage."

An internationally renowned electrical and computer engineer, Khosla has significantly expanded college access and affordability for underserved populations, initiated interdisciplinary research initiatives to foster collaboration and solve societal challenges and strengthened university and community relationships and partnerships at UC San Diego.

"I am thrilled to represent all Division I schools and contribute to ensuring the NCAA remains a positive force in the lives of student-athletes, alumni and all of its stakeholders," said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla.

The Big West's last representative on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors was Dianne F. Harrison, President of California State University, Northridge. Harrison served on the Board from 2014 to 2018.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.