Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Nebraska coach Tom Osborne and Hall of Fame quarterback Archie Manning are among the 13 people who will be part of the College Football Playoff selection committee in 2014.
The selection committee was officially unveiled Wednesday, though the names of the members were reported last week by The Associated Press and other media outlets. Earlier this week, Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long was announced as the chairman of the first committee for the new playoff system that replaces the Bowl Championship Series next year.
The committee will choose four teams to play in the national semifinals and seed them. The winners of those games will play a week later for the national championship.
Long and BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock announced the members at news conference at the College Football Playoff offices in Irving, Texas. The committee is made up of current athletic directors, former players and coaches and college administrators.
“Our work will be difficult, but rewarding at the same time,” Long said. “We have important judgments to make during that process. We realize we represent all of college football.”
The rest of the members:
Barry Alvarez, athletic director, Wisconsin
Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, former superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy.
Pat Haden, athletic director, Southern California.
Tom Jernstedt, former NCAA executive vice president.
Oliver Luck, athletic director, West Virginia.
Dan Radakovich, athletic director, Clemson.
Steve Wieberg, former college football reporter, USA Today.
Tyrone Willingham, former head coach of Notre Dame, Stanford and Washington.
Rice was a surprising pick because she has never worked in college athletics but is a professor at Stanford and was provost at the school before serving under President George W. Bush as National Security Adviser and Secretary of State.
“Condi definitely earned her spot on this committee,” Hancock said. “She knows this game, she is a student of this game.”
Osborne is one of the most successful coaches in college football history. He won three national championships at Nebraska, was elected to Congress and later served as the school’s athletic director.
Manning, the father of Peyton and Eli, was a star quarterback for Mississippi and had a long NFL career, mostly with the New Orleans Saints. He, along with Osborne, is a member of College Football Hall of Fame.
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