New York ? Gene Budig the next president of the NCAA?

Could happen.

Budig, 63, is the leading candidate to replace the outgoing Cedric Dempsey, CNN-SI has reported.

The former Kansas University chancellor, who was stripped of his title of American League President in 2000 when the league president positions were eliminated, works for major league baseball as a consultant. He’s also a teacher at Princeton University.

Budig and his $650,000 salary this December go off baseball’s books. The NCAA hopes to name its next president in November. Budig would make more than $750,000 per annum as NCAA president.

“I have not been contacted by anyone associated with the search process,” Budig told CNN-SI. “Several presidents have encouraged my interest. That has been recent. I just have nothing to say and you can appreciate that.”

Other candidates mentioned: Syracuse chancellor Kenneth Shaw; former Kentucky president Charles Wethington; Big Ten Conference commissioner Jim Delaney; Stanford AD Ted Leland and NCAA vice president of championships Judy Sweet. The NCAA has hired a headhunting firm to corral candidates.