Opportunity Missed for Oklahoma State as CFP Is in the Appointment Season

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State fans and followers know their athletic director and Oklahoma State Vice President for Athletics, Chad Weiberg, is about to go into the bunker known as the BCAA Basketball Selection Committee. While it is the heavy work time of year for that important and prestigious committee, it is the reloading, reorganizing, and appointment time of year for the College Football Playoff. 

The CFP Management Committee met last week in Irving at the Gaylord Texan and took no action on seeding procedure, selection procedure, or any of those issues such as expanding the playoff to 14 or 16 teams for the 2025 season into the 2026 championship. They did approve new appointments to the CFP Selection Committee. Pokes Report also knows that Oklahoma State missed a great opportunity with CFP representation and governance when former OSU President, Dr. Kayse Shrum, and the Oklahoma State/A&M Board of Regents negotiated her resignation as President. 

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics

Dr. Shrum with Chad Weiberg.

We know that less than a week before that situation played out, that Dr. Shrum had received a call from Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark. Yormark and all of the Power Four and Group of Five conference commissioners along with University of Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua make up the CFP Management Committee. Yormark had contacted Dr. Shrum to ask her if he could appoint her to take current Big 12 representative Dr. E. Gordon Gee’s place on that committee. Dr. Gee is the President of West Virginia University.

The College Football Playoff’s business, property and affairs are governed by the Board of Managers. The board develops, reviews and approves annual budgets, policies and operating guidelines. It also appoints and removes officers of the CFP. It has authority over all aspects of the company’s operations. It is a powerful position and Oklahoma State had a chance to have a major say in the playoff with Dr. Shrum as the Big 12 representative. That is a shame.

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Baylor AD Mack Rhoades is now the chair of the CFP Selection Committee.

In other news, the Big 12 Conference now has provided the chair for the CFP Selection Committee. The CFP Management Committee has appointed Baylor University Athletics Director Mack Rhoades as selection committee chair for the 2025 football season, announced by Rich Clark, executive director of the CFP. Rhoades replaces Warde Manuel, the athletics director at the University of Michigan, who served as chair for the 2024-25 season.

Clark also announced that the Management Committee has appointed Mark Dantonio, former head coach at the University of Cincinnati and Michigan State University; Damon Evans, athletics director at the University of Maryland; Ivan Maisel, former sportswriter for The Atlanta Constitution, Sports Illustrated, the Dallas Morning News, Newsday, ESPN and On3; Chris Massaro, athletics director at Middle Tennessee State University; and Wesley Walls, former All-American tight end from Ole Miss, to the CFP Selection Committee.

The new members will begin three-year terms starting this spring. They will replace Chet Gladchuk, Jim Grobe, Manuel, Will Shields and Kelly Whiteside, whose terms have expired. Due to other commitments, Gary Pinkel stepped down following the completion of his first year on the committee. All six departing members will join a distinguished group of alumni.

Clark also announced that the management committee has asked Steve Wieberg, former CFP Selection Committee member (2014-17) and longtime writer for USA TODAY, to return for a one-year term.