The Best Sports Commissioners Ranked

Who is the best commissioner in major sport today?

The obvious answer is Roger Goodell of the powerhouse NFL, but just how much better is he than his counterparts?

The Commissioner Power Index is here to answer that question.

How the index is calculated

The Commissioner Power Index ranks the leaders of eight major sports organizations based on a weighted formula that balances financial performance, leadership quality, and longevity. Revenue accounts for 40 percent of the score, recognizing that a commissioner's primary job is to grow the business. A leadership composite – averaging scores in labor peace, expansion, crisis management, international reach, and fan product – also counts for 40 percent. Tenure makes up the remaining 20 percent, rewarding stability and survival.

Roger Goodell (NFL)

Overall Rank: #1 | Revenue Rank: #1 | Tenure Rank: #3 | Leadership Rank: #3

As the commissioner of the undisputed king of pro sports, Roger Goodell is loved by owners and generally disliked by fans for prioritizing revenue above all else.

Revenue (10/10): The NFL generates over $23 billion annually—nearly double MLB and sixteen times the NCAA—thanks to his orchestration of $110 billion in media deals, embrace of legalized sports gambling, and opening the door to private equity.

Tenure (6.1/10): Goodell has served 20 years, placing him third in tenure, and owners consistently extend him despite public booing because they value his stability and financial stewardship.

Labour Peace (10/10): Goodell hasn't lost a single game to labour strife since 2011, making the fifteen years of uninterrupted football the gold standard.

Expansion and Growth (9/10): While he hasn't expanded the league, he's extracted more value from existing franchises through streaming and gambling.

Crisis Management (9/10): He weathered COVID-19 well, buoyed by a draft that remained as popular as ever despite it being virtual. “Deflategate” did occur on his watch, however.

International Market (6/10): The NFL remains an American product touring abroad (London, Germany, Mexico) rather than a true global league.

Fan Product (6/10): Safety rules have alienated purists who miss the old violence and there’s constant headaches over what constitutes a catch anymore these days.

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Adam Silver (NBA)

Overall Rank: #2 | Revenue Rank: #2 | Tenure Rank: #4 | Leadership Rank: #4

Though widely respected as one of the most thoughtful and player-friendly commissioners in sports, Adam Silver's tenure has been characterized by two very different halves.

Revenue (6.6/10): The NBA generates over $12.5 billion annually, placing it second behind only the NFL. Silver has overseen massive media rights deals and franchise valuation growth.

Tenure (3.6/10): Silver has served 12 years, placing him fourth overall. He inherited a healthy league from David Stern and modernized it for the player-empowerment era – for better and worse.

Labour Peace (9/10): Silver has maintained the labour peace he inherited, though a looming WNBA labor crisis threatens to spill onto his desk.

Expansion and Growth (8/10): The NBA has long been rumored to be expanding to Seattle and Las Vegas, though nothing has actually happened yet.

Crisis Management (8/10): The 2014 Donald Sterling ban remains his signature moment, but subsequent crises – the Daryl Morey-China incident , gambling scandals and the Steve Ballmer cap-circumvention probe – have dented his record.

International Market (9/10): The NBA is genuinely global. The last two MVPs are international (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic), and the league is expanding into Europe while already running an African league.

Fan Product (5/10): Load management, rampant tanking, and a homogenous style of play have made the on-court product lacklustre, despite the league's financial success.

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Gary Bettman (NHL)

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been unpopuar with fans but he's increased franchise value exponetially.

Overall Rank: #3 | Revenue Rank: #4 | Tenure Rank: #1 | Leadership Rank: #5

As the longest-tenured commissioner in North American sports history, Bettman is beloved by owners for tripling revenue and expanding into the Sun Belt, but a history of NHL lockouts sours his legacy.

Revenue (3.3/10): The NHL generates over $6.2 billion in annual revenue, up from $500 million in 1993. However, the league remains more dependent on gate revenue than its peers, with media rights lagging behind.

Tenure (10/10): As the only commissioner in NHL history, Bettman has served 33 years, making him the longest-serving commissioner in North American sports history.

Labour Peace (3/10): Three lockouts mar his record, including the 2004-05 cancellation of the entire season, the worst black mark of any commissioner on this list.

Expansion and Growth (10/10): He grew the NHL from 24 to 32 teams, planting flags in non-traditional markets like Las Vegas, Nashville and Dallas.

Crisis Management (6/10): The Arizona Coyotes stadium saga lasted two decades and the league still faces a concussion problem.

International Market (9/10): The talent pool is genuinely global with Canadians, Swedes, Finns, Russians, and Czechs dominating the league.

Fan Product (6/10): Strides have been made to improve the product for fans, but it’s tough for what is essentially a niche sport in America to break through to a wider audience.

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Don Garber (MLS)

Overall Rank: #4 | Revenue Rank: #6 | Tenure Rank: #2 | Leadership Rank: #2

The architect of American soccer's survival and growth, Garber has taken a league that nearly folded and has built something sustainable.

Revenue (1.1/10): MLS generates more than $2 billion in revenue. While dwarfed by the major leagues, Garber has built the infrastructure for American soccer to exist and sustain.

Tenure (8.2/10): Garber has served 27 years, placing him second only to Bettman. He was hired in 1999 despite having no soccer background.

Labour Peace (10/10): Through 25 years of rapid expansion, Garber has never lost a game to labour strife.

Expansion and Growth (10/10): He grew MLS from 10 to 30 teams, built soccer-specific stadiums across the country, and attracted global superstars like David Beckham and Lionel Messi.

Crisis Management (8/10): The Designated Player Rule was a calculated risk that ended up paying off, paving the way for superstars like Messi to come to MLS.

International Market (5/10): MLS is an importer of international talent, not an exporter of content. The league's international footprint remains minimal.

Fan Product (8/10): The quality of play has never been higher. MLS has shifted from signing aging stars past their prime to ones still at the top of their game.

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Rob Manfred

Overall Rank: #5 | Revenue Rank: #3 | Tenure Rank: #5 | Leadership Rank: #6

As the architect of baseball's modern era, Manfred is a rising star of a commissioner, but faces problems with traditionalists.

Revenue (5.3/10): MLB generated $12.1 billion in 2024. Manfred has overseen steady financial growth, though regional sports network collapses and ESPN's early exit from its $550 million deal have created new uncertainties.

Tenure (3.3/10): Manfred has served 11 years and has stated his current term, running through January 2029, will be his last.

Labour Peace (7/10): As MLB's chief negotiator before becoming commissioner, he helped secure three straight CBAs without a strike. There was a brief lockout in 2021-22, however.

Expansion and Growth (7/10): The Oakland A's relocation to Las Vegas marked the first franchise move since 2004, but has been widely criticized as a cynical cash grab, especially with Vegas' stadium not ready yet.

Crisis Management (3/10): The Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal exposed Manfred for, perhaps, being a little too soft with punishment.

International Market (5/10): Shohei Ohtani has driven record merchandise sales and viewership in Japan, but MLB has been slow to establish a consistent international footprint outside traditional baseball markets.

Fan Product (8/10): The pitch clock has been a transformative success, dramatically cutting game times.

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Stefano Domenicali (F1)

Overall Rank: #6 | Revenue Rank: #5 | Tenure Rank: #7 | Leadership Rank: #1

Arguably, the coolest commissioner on the list, Domenicali inherited the Drive to Survive momentum and turned F1 into a global cultural phenomenon.

Revenue (1.8/10): F1 generates more than $3.5 billion in revenue. While not as much as the major leagues, the sport is experiencing explosive growth under his watch.

Tenure (1.5/10): Domenicali has served only five years, placing him seventh. He’s the second-newest commissioner behind only Charlie Baker.

Labour Peace (10/10): F1 has no labor unions in the traditional sense.

Expansion and Growth (10/10): He added the Miami Grand Prix and Las Vegas Grand Prix, turning the U.S. into a three-race market.

Crisis Management (8/10): Outside of the bad-look Andretti snub, Domenicali hasn’t really dealt with much in the way of crisis on his watch.

International Market (10/10): This is his legacy. Domenicali capitalized on the U.S. boom, making F1 matter in a country that ignored it for decades.

Fan Product (9/10): Sprint races add action but annoy purists. Overall, the product is the hottest it probably has ever been.

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Jay Monahan (PGA Tour)

Overall Rank: #7 | Revenue Rank: #7 | Tenure Rank: #6 | Leadership Rank: #7

Monahan's tenure will be defined entirely by the LIV Golf battle he continues to fight – fair or not.

Revenue (0.9/10): The PGA Tour generates approximately $1.8 billion in revenue. Growth has been reactive to LIV rather than proactive.

Tenure (2.7/10): Monahan has served nine years, placing him sixth. His future beyond the PIF merger framework remains uncertain.

Labour Peace (10/10): Golfers are independent contractors, so a strike is nearly impossible. Monahan gets a default score here.

Expansion and Growth (5/10): Before LIV, the Tour was growing steadily. After LIV, Monahan created "designated events" with massive purses to try to stop the bleeding.

Crisis Management (5/10): Monahan spent a year calling LIV players "rebels" and suspending them, then secretly negotiated with the same Saudis funding the rival league.

International Market (4/10): While there are certainly international stars playing on it, the PGA Tour remains a U.S.-centric operation.

Fan Product (5/10): The best players now face each other only at the Majors, making weekly Tour events feel diluted.

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Charlie Baker (NCAA)

Overall Rank: #8 | Revenue Rank: #8 | Tenure Rank: #8 | Leadership Rank: #8

Baker has appeared to inherit a burning house, the NCAA is being shattered by college football's financial explosion, and his job is to manage the collapse rather than build an empire.

Revenue (0.7/10): The NCAA generates $1.3 billion in annual revenue as a non-profit. What hurts more is that FBS revenue itself is exploding and almost none of it flows to the NCAA.

Tenure (0.9/10): Baker has served only three years, making him the newest commissioner on the list.

Labour Peace (8/10): No games have been cancelled, but college football and basketball is in a state of permanent labour unrest with player unionization threats.

Expansion and Growth (5/10): Revenue is booming in college football, but Baker doesn't control any of it.

Crisis Management (6/10): He drove the House v. NCAA settlement, saving the organization from bankruptcy, but on a weekly basis, he loses the PR battle as tampering runs rampant.

International Market (2/10): When the Big Ten plays in Ireland, Baker is a guest, not a host. He has no control over international expansion.

Fan Product (3/10): The games are great, but the institution is in crisis. Fans are confused and angered by NIL and the transfer portal, and nostalgic for the amateur ideal.