College Football Playoff names 13-member selection committee

The names became official Wednesday when the new College Football Playoff unveiled the 13-member selection committee in charge of picking future national champions.

Starting next year, the panel will replace the current BCS system and choose the top four teams for a playoff. The committee will also pair opponents in major bowl games.

There were no surprises on the list of names that have slowly leaked out in the past few weeks.

Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long will chair the committee that will also include:

--Barry Alvarez, director of athletics, Wisconsin
--Lt. Gen. Mike Gould (ret.), former Air Force Academy superintendent
--Pat Haden, director of athletics, USC
--Tom Jernstedt, former NCAA executive vice president
--Oliver Luck, director of athletics and former quarterback, West Virginia
--Archie Manning, former Ole Miss quarterback
--Tom Osborne, former head coach and AD at Nebraska
--Dan Radakovich, director of athletics, Clemson
--Condeleezza Rice, Stanford professor and former U.S. secretary of State
--Mike Tranghese, former Big East commissioner
--Steve Wieberg, former college football reporter at USA Today
--Tyrone Willingham, former head coach at Stanford, Notre Dame and Washington

“We wanted people of the highest integrity for this committee, and we got them,” Bill Hancock, College Football Playoff executive director, said in a statement. “Every one of them has vast football knowledge, excellent judgment, dedication and love for this game.

“They will no doubt have one of the hardest jobs in sports. But their skills and wide variety of experiences — from coaches and athletes to university leaders and journalists — will ensure that they will be successful.”

The Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl will host the first CFP semifinals on Jan. 1, 2015. The first championship game will be held Jan. 12, 2015, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

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