Colorado’s Rick George named to College Football Playoff selection committee

University of Colorado athletic director Rick George has been named to the College Football Playoff selection committee, per an announcement by CFP executive director Bill Hancock on Wednesday.

The Buffaloes’ executive is slated to serve a three-year term on the committee, along with University of Wyoming athletic director Tom Burman, and former all-american Penn State linebacker Jon Urschel. The three men will be replacing Frank Beamer, Chris Howard and Rob Mullens, whose terms are expiring this spring. Iowa athletic director Gary Barta will also be replacing Mullens and assuming the role of chairman of the committee.

George, 59, will be on a 13-member panel, which is charged with creating six weekly top 25 rankings beginning the first week of November, and culminating in the selection of the four teams that will compete in the CFP playoffs and the additional eight schools that will earn bids into the other four “New Year’s Six” bowls (Cotton, Fiesta, Orange and Peach).

“I am humbled and honored to join the College Football Playoff Selection Committee,” George said in a statement. “The game of football has provided me with endless opportunities throughout my lifetime. This opportunity gives me the chance to give back to this great game. I’m excited to get to work alongside Bill Hancock and the other members of the committee.”

George took over as CU’s athletic director six years ago and since that time has served at several capacities outside the university. He was notably appointed to the NCAA’s 18-member working group studying student-athlete name, image and likeness (NIL) issue. George also serves on the Division I Council of the NCAA, is part of the NCAA’s D1 Council Transfer Working Group, and recently completed a two-year term as chair of the LEAD1 Association, which represents the athletic directors, programs and student-athletes of the 130 member schools of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

“Rick will be a terrific member of the committee,” Hancock said. “He has the two characteristics that we look for in committee members: he is a person of high integrity and he knows the game very well. We’re delighted he will be joining the group and look forward to working with him.”

George is one of seven athletic directors on the current committee, along with two former head coaches, two former players, a former U.S. chief of staff and and professor to make up the thirteen members. Here are the members of the CFB Playoff committee:

Gary Barta (Iowa AD), Chairman

Tom Burman (Wyoming AD)

Paola Boivin (Arizona State Professor)

Joe Castiglione (Oklahoma AD)

Rick George (Colorado AD)

Ken Hatfield (Former head coach)

Ronnie Lott (Former player)

Terry Mohajr (Arkansas State AD)

Ray Odierno (Former U.S. Army Chief of Staff)

R.C. Slocum (Former head coach)

Todd Stansbury (Georgia Tech AD)

Scott Stricklin (Florida AD)

Jon Urschel (Former player)

The 2021 CFP semifinals will be next January 1 in the Rose (Pasadena, Calif.) and Sugar (New Orleans, La.) bowls, with the National Championship game set for January 11, 2021 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.