Longtime NCAA exec Tom Jernstedt to depart after 38 years

Tom Jernstedt, the guiding force behind the NCAA Tournament, told friends today that he is stepping down after 38 years at the NCAA. Jernstedt, 65, sent an e-mail to friends and colleagues saying "there is no better time to make this change," citing the impending arrival of new NCAA President Mark Emmert. "While serving the first four NCAA presidents, I have been honored to support student-athletes and privileged to participate in groundbreaking decisions that have positively impacted intercollegiate athletics," he wrote in the e-mail. One of Jernstedt's closest friends, Jim Host, called it "a sad day for the NCAA. Nobody has had a greater impact on college basketball and specifically the NCAA Tournament than Tom." Messages left for Jernstedt were not immediately returned and it is uncertain what his future plans are.