The College Football Playoff has named Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel its new selection committee chair for the 2024 season, which marks the debut of an expanded field to 12 teams. The selection committee’s new members include Washington State athletics director Patrick Chun, former Arizona State All-American Randall McDaniel, former Missouri coach Gary Pinkel, Baylor athletic director Mack Rhoades, Virginia athletic director Carla Williams and Hunter Yurachek, the athletic director at Arkansas.
Manuel replaces NC State athletic director Boo Corrigan as acting chair. Corrigan served two seasons in that role and oversaw one of the toughest decisions in CFP history last season when his committee excluded unbeaten Florida State from the final four, marking the first time that happened for a Power Five, unblemished conference champion.
“My first two years on the committee have been a great experience,” Manuel said in a release. “I have so much respect for the time and effort each committee member puts in each week because of their commitment to the game. I’m honored to be asked to serve as committee chair.”
According to the NCAA, the 12-team playoff field includes the six highest-ranked conference champions, which receive automatic bids. However, that number is expected to decrease to five auto-bids due to the Pac-12’s deterioration. The top-four teams get first-round byes. The six highest-ranked teams after the other two conference champions remaining will round out the 12-team format. Independents, like Notre Dame, are ineligible to receive a top-four seed since they it doesn’t belong to a conference.
Manuel has had a busy offseason since the Wolverines captured the football program’s first national championship in 25 years last month. He introduced Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore as the Wolverines’ next head coach following Jim Harbaugh’s departure to the NFL recently, a quick-and-tidy search that didn’t have to go outside of Ann Arbor.
“Sherrone has demonstrated leadership abilities and high character throughout his six years on staff. And I’m talking about things that go above and beyond juggling roles as offensive coordinator, offensive line coach and interim head coach responsibilities. He’s a great person, not just a great coach,” Manuel said, via The Michigan Insider. “He proved firsthand that he can lead a team. Forty-five minutes prior to the team leaving the hotel at Penn State, Jim and I told him he would probably be leading the team. I gave him the official notice that he was about 90 minutes before the start of the game on the field. He handled it with great poise from start to finish — and didn’t flinch.
“How about 32 straight run plays being called? My former coach, Bo, was up in heaven looking down on you and smiling all day and after the game. He got into players in a very tough environment and kept them calm, and they played great football.
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The 2024 season will feature several expanded power conferences as well as major bowl-season changes related to the new playoff format.
