Iowa AD Gary Barta Named 2020 CFP Selection Committee Chair
The College Football Playoff (CFP) Management Committee has appointed University of Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta as selection committee chair for the 2020 football season. Barta replaces Rob Mullens, the athletics director at the University of Oregon, who served as chair for the past two seasons.
The CFP Management Committee also announced Tom Burman, athletics director at the University of Wyoming, Rick George, athletics director at the University of Colorado, and John Urschel, former All-American lineman at Penn State University, to the CFP Selection Committee, it was announced today by Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the CFP.
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. "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 the Henry B. and Patricia B. TippieDirector of Athletics at the University of Iowa since August 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. He also remains active at the conference and national level. He is a member of the NCAA Division I Council and recently served on the NCAA Ad Hoc Committee on Sports Wagering. He is also regularly involved in NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) and LEAD1 (formerly known as the Division 1A Athletic Directors Association).
Prior to arriving at Iowa, he served as athletics director at the University of Wyoming from 2003-06. Prior to that he served for seven years as senior associate athletics director at the University of 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 the University of Northern Iowa.
Barta earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mass communication and broadcast journalism from North Dakota State in 1987. He was an option quarterback for Bison football squads that won the Division II NCAA National Championship in 1983, 1985 and 1986.
About the College Football Playoff
The College Football Playoff matches the No. 1 ranked team vs. No. 4, and No. 2 vs. No. 3 in semifinal games that rotate annually among six bowl games – the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual. This season's Playoff Semifinals will take place Friday, January 1, 2021, at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 11, 2021, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.