Barta Named CFP Committee Chairman

Iowa athletics director will lead playoff selection process.

Gary Barta has ascended to one of the most visible positions in college football.

Barta, Iowa's athletics director, was named the chairman of the College Football Playoff selection committee for the 2020 season.

Barta replaces Rob Mullens, the athletics director at Oregon who served as chairman for the past two seasons.

Tom Burman, athletics director at Wyoming, Rick George, athletics director at Colorado, and John Urschel, a former All-American lineman at Penn State, to the selection committee, it was announced Wednesday by Bill Hancock, CFP executive director.

The new members will begin three-year terms starting this spring. They will replace Mullens, Frank Beamer, and Chris Howard, whose terms have expired.

​"We are delighted that Gary will serve as chair," Hancock said in a statement. "He was a valuable member of the committee last year and he will be a good leader inside the room and a good spokesperson to let folks know what the committee did and why."

"I had a terrific experience my first year on the committee," Barta said. "I have so much respect for the other committee members, and for Bill Hancock and the CFP staff. I'm honored to be asked to serve as committee chair and look forward to working with this group again in 2020."

Barta was appointed to the CFP selection committee in January 2019. He has served as Iowa's AD since 2006.

He is a member of the President's Cabinet, comprised of vice presidents and other campus leaders that provide counsel to Iowa's president. Barta also is a member of the NCAA Division I Council and recently served on the NCAA Ad Hoc Committee on Sports Wagering.

Barta served as athletics director at Wyoming from 2003-06. Prior to that he served for seven years as senior associate athletics director at Washington. He began his collegiate athletics career at North Dakota State as associate director of athletics development, then spent six years as director of athletics development and external relations at tNorthern Iowa.

Barta earned a degree in mass communication and broadcast journalism from North Dakota State in 1987. He was an option quarterback for the North Dakota State teams that won the Division II NCAA national championship in 1983, 1985 and 1986.