Fighting for Survival, California Commission Names Andy Foster New Executive Officer

The California State Athletic Commission on Tuesday announced that it has appointed Andy Foster as its new Executive Officer. He was selected at the Oct. 8 commission meeting in Los Angeles.

Foster is an interesting choice to try and lead the CSAC out of its tailspin.

The California commissioner has undergone massive amounts of staffing changes over the past couple of years, been mired in the California budget mess, and has received criticisms ranging from incompetence to impropriety.

Most recently, the commission has been the center of controversy over having not paid nor directed promotions to pay for upkeep of the Association of Boxing Commissions database for events held in its state. If that situation isn’t resolved quickly, the CSAC could lose its access to the database, which means it would not be able to check for fighters currently under suspension thus taking away its power to approve bouts.

Foster has a wider scope of vision on the world of combat sports than his predecessors.

He has served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, overseeing boxing, mixed martial arts, kickboxing, wrestling, and ticket brokers.

Aside from Foster’s front office qualifications, however, he is a former fighter himself.

Foster has a broad resume as an athlete, including a professional record of 9-2 and an amateur record of 8-0 in mixed martial arts. He also competed in amateur boxing, sport grappling, and kickboxing, and has trained across multiple disciplines.

Foster has also served as a promoter, matchmaker, trainer, referee, and has trained other referees and judges.

“We’re very pleased to have landed someone of the background and caliber of Andy Foster,” said CSAC Chairman John Frierson. “We are hoping he can do in California what he did in Georgia in terms of increasing both revenue and the number of shows.”

“I’m very excited to be coming to California,” said Foster. “It has a rich boxing and MMA presence with the largest number of shows in the nation, and I look forward to ensuring a regulatory environment that is consistent and fair based upon contestant safety, public protection, and economic growth.”

Foster will begin his duties on Nov. 7 and attend his first meeting of the California State Athletic Commission the next day.

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