Who Is on the College Football Playoff Committee?

Taking a look at the committee for the 2024 College Football Playoff.
College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock
College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The first iteration of the College Football Playoff rankings were released Nov. 5 for the 2024 season.

Per usual, there wasn't a huge difference from the AP Top 25 rankings, and the CFP numbers won't truly matter for another month and change. But it's always fun to look into the future and anticipate the best part of the college football season—especially this year, when fans will enjoy a 12-team playoff for the first time.

The expansion of the playoff means more fans than ever will be paying rapt attention to who the College Football Playoff cCommittee determines to be worthy to battle for the sport's highest honor of a national championship. Many such fans might be new to the whole concept, given it hasn't been that long since the BCS reigned supreme and a 12-team playoff means a school without a strong history of success on the football field could squeak into the bracket.

The most obvious question, of course: who exactly is in charge of making the rankings? Who is on the College Football Playoff Committee?

What is the College Football Playoff Committee?

Before answering such a pivotal question, let's take a step back and explain what the CFP Committee really is.

The College Football Playoff Committee was formed when the College Football Playoff format was introduced in 2014. Its purpose is to rank the teams deemed most worthy to participate in the CFP. There are 13 members of the committee who are tasked with ranking those potential participants. Using a small committee to make those decisions marked a big change from the BCS era, which used computer formulas and Top 25 polls to make the call.

In short, the CFP Committee's only job is to use the information at hand to pick the best teams in the country to compete in the CFP. Up to the 2024 season, only four teams were admitted. Starting in 2024, 12 teams are admitted, which makes the committee's job more about seeding everybody appropriately instead of having to make tough choices between the fourth and fifth-best teams in the nation.

Who is on the College Football Playoff Committee?

Now for the relevant topic: who, exactly is on the committee? Who has been charged with deciding the fate of 12 elite college football programs/

The short version is that it's largely a collection of current and former authority figures in the college football realm. The committee is made up of men and women who have served as athletic directors and/or head coaches, and a smattering of other professions as well, including a former player and a professor of sports journalism. It's an eclectic bunch that suggests the NCAA wants to bring a variety of informed opinions to the table.

Here's the full list of the committee members for the 2024 season.

NAME

AGE

SCHOOL

ROLE

Chris Ault

77

University of Nevada

Former Head Coach (HC)/Athletic Director (AD)

Chet Gladchuk

74

U.S. Naval Academy

AD

Jim Grobe

72

Ohio University, Wake Forest, Baylor

Former HC

Warde Manuel

56

University of Michigan

AD

Randall McDaniel

59

Arizona State Univeristy

Former Player

Gary Pinkel

72

University of Missouri, University of Toledo

Former HC

Mack Rhoades

59

Baylor University

AD

Mike Riley

71

Oregon State, Nebraska

Former HC

David Sayler

55

Miami University, OH

AD

Will Shields

53

University of Nebraska

Former Player

Kelly Whiteside

N/A

Montclair State University

Professor in Sports Media & Journalism

Carla Williams

N/A

University of Virginia

AD

Hunter Yurachek

56

University of Arkansas

AD

College Football Playoff Ranking Release Schedule

Finally, the last piece of information you need to enjoy the CFP season: a full schedule of the release dates for the rankings that come out over the course of the 2024 season.

RANKING

DATE

TIME

1

November 5

7 p.m. ET

2

November 12

8:30 p.m. ET

3

November 19

7 p.m. ET

4

November 26

8 p.m. ET

5

December 3

7 p.m .ET

Final Ranking/Selection Day

December 8

12 p.m. ET

Enjoy!


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Liam McKeone
LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.