Utah A.D. Mark Harlan To Serve On College Football Playoff Selection Committee
Sep 4, 2023, 5:42 PM | Updated: Sep 6, 2023, 1:06 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah Athletic Director Mark Harlan will serve on the CFP Selection Committee for the 2023 football season, replacing former Washington and newly minted USC A.D. Jennifer Cohen.
Harlan is entering his sixth season as the Utes’ A.D. following Dr. Chris Hill in 2018 after he retired. Harlan has had a banner year already being recognized as Athletic Director of the Year.
“We are pleased to have Mark join the committee. His vast knowledge and experience as a college administrator has him well prepared for this new role,” CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock said Monday. “While we are sorry Jennifer Cohen has had to step down from the committee, we certainly understand the exciting and challenging responsibilities she has with her new position at USC.”
NEWS: The College Football Playoff Management Committee has appointed @utahathletics director Mark Harlan to the CFP Selection Committee.
More on today’s announcement » https://t.co/1ruDs8wx9M#CFBPlayoff 🏈🏆 pic.twitter.com/4qy1AzbZQ0
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) September 4, 2023
Mark Harlan’s Budding Utah Legacy
Following up someone who spent 31 years building an athletic department and taking it from a small conference to the big time is not an easy task, but Harlan is starting to build his own legacy at Utah after taking over for Dr. Hill.
The Utes have seen some unprecedented growth in the classroom, on the field, and within the department in Harlan’s short six-year tenure so far with more in store. Utah has won four national championships and 24 conference championships. 16 of those conference titles have come just in the past two years.
From 2019-2021, Harlan spent three years on the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee and will now take his talents and expertise to the College Football Playoff.
Honored to serve this great sport- https://t.co/GvTm9Gtdrw
— Mark Harlan (@MarkHarlan_AD) September 4, 2023
The CFP selection committee is tasked with selecting the top four teams for the College Football Playoff and assigning them to semifinal games while ranking the other top 25 teams. The committee will have their first in-person on Monday, Oct. 30 to produce a ranking of the top 25 teams. They will continue to meet each week leading up to the final selections on Dec. 3.
“I’m honored to serve in this important role, and I’d like to thank the CFP Management Committee for this opportunity.” Harlan said. “I recognize the importance of this committee for college football and for our industry, and I’m eager to join the current committee members in this commitment for the 2023 season.”
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on X, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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