IRVING, Texas – The College Football Playoff (CFP) Management Committee has appointed Mark Harlan, athletics director at the University of Utah to the CFP Selection Committee, it was announced today by Bill Hancock, Executive Director of the CFP.
Harlan will replace Jennifer Cohen, who recently became the new athletics director at the University of Southern California and chose to step down from the committee to focus on her new role.
“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,” Hancock said. “While we are sorry Jennifer has had to step down from the committee, we certainly understand the exciting and challenging responsibilities she has with her new position at USC.”
“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.”
“This decision was not an easy one, as the opportunity to serve on the College Football Playoff Selection Committee is truly an honor, and the committee members and CFP staff are exceptional people,” Cohen said. “However, to do exemplary work on the committee demands an enormous amount of time, work, research and travel, and after making this transition, it is clear to me that now at a new institution my full focus and energy must be on USC Athletics and on our student-athletes, coaches and staff. I am confident that this decision in the best interests of USC and the CFP, and I am grateful for the support and understanding of President Folt, Lincoln Riley and Bill Hancock and wish the committee the very best in the months ahead.”
Mark Harlan has served as athletics director at the University of Utah since 2018. During Harlan’s tenure, Utah has won four national championships and 24 conference championships, 16 of which have come in the past two years. In each of the past two years, the Utes have had a school-record eight teams qualify for NCAA championship competition or a bowl game. Among the successes: Football has earned back-to-back Pac-12 championships and Rose Bowl berths; the ski team has won four consecutive NCAA championships; and gymnastics has earned three consecutive third-place NCAA Championships finishes. Following the 2022-23 academic year, Harlan was named Cushman & Wakefield Athletics Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. During his career, Harlan has been named to several influential committees throughout his career, including a recent three-year term on the Division I Football Oversight Committee.
Harlan has spent over three decades in athletics administration, including the past 10 years as an athletics director. Before taking over at Utah, he spent five years as director of athletics at the University of South Florida. Previously he worked in various athletics roles at UCLA, the University of Arizona (twice), San Jose State and the University of Northern Colorado. He began his career in 1992 at his alma mater, Arizona, and spent over a decade there before moving to Northern Colorado.
Harlan graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in education.
The CFP selection committee is responsible for selecting the top four teams in the playoff and assigning them to semifinal games as well as ranking the other top 25 teams. The committee meets in-person beginning Monday, Oct. 30 and produces a ranking of the top 25 teams each week leading up to its final selections on Dec. 3. For more information on the selection committee, visit www.collegefootballplayoff.com.
-#CFBPlayoff-
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, Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Capital One Orange Bowl, Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game. This season’s Playoff Semifinals will take place Monday, January 1, 2024, at the Allstate Sugar Bowl and Rose Bowl Game. Houston will host the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday, January 8, 2024, at NRG Stadium.
