Barta Will Still Chair CFP Committee Despite No Big Ten Season
Iowa athletics director Gary Barta will still be the chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee even though the Hawkeyes and the rest of the Big Ten won't be playing a fall season.
Barta and the committee held virtual meetings Wednesday and Thursday
"We don't know right now what the season will bring, but as a committee, we are ready to use the protocol and the expertise of the 13 people who have been charged with selecting the teams," Barta, who is beginning his first year as committee chair, said in a statement from the CFP.
"The committee's task is to rank the teams based on what happens on the field. This week gave us a great chance to catch up with the familiar faces and welcome our three new members to the process. If the board and management committee say we are having a CFP, we will be ready."
During the two days of meetings, the committee reviewed its weekly ranking announcements, went over its protocol and finalized its list of members who will be recused from voting or discussions regarding selected teams.
"This was the time when we normally review all aspects of the committee's operation," Barta said in the statement. "We accomplished a great deal even though we met by video conference. We will have another opportunity to review the procedures—particulary with the three new committee members—this fall."
The four-team playoff field will be announced on Dec. 20. The semifinals are scheduled for the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. The championship game is scheduled for Jan. 11, 2021 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla.
