The NCAA governance structure consists of various bodies made up of volunteers from member schools and conferences. These governance bodies (e.g., boards, councils, committees) govern each division, manage topics affecting sports rules, championships, health and safety and other issues.

The Board of Governors provides strategic leadership on Association-wide issues that impact all three NCAA divisions. It consists of presidents and chancellors from each division, graduated student-athletes, along with select leaders from the NCAA membership and independent members. The board provides strategic planning for the Association as a whole, such as adopting and implementing policies to resolve core issues and other Association-wide matters. The board also initiates and settles litigation, provides final approval and oversight of the NCAA’s budget and employs the NCAA president. 

All Association-wide bodies are charged with upholding and advancing the Association’s core values of fairness, safety and equal opportunity for all student-athletes. Neither the Association-wide committees nor the Board of Governors has the authority to enact legislation directly, but they can influence and provide guidance by recommending legislation to each division, where it can be reviewed through the divisions’ legislative processes.