“The integrity of our members and the dedication they bring to the table is clear,” said Kirby Hocutt, Selection Committee chair. “We will give the time, energy and effort each week to ensure we rank the best 25 teams. Our members take their appointment seriously and we look forward to the season kicking off this week. This week, we reviewed our procedures and we discussed the data and analytics that are available to help members make their decisions.”
In advance of the committee issuing the first set of rankings, members reviewed timing for the weekly announcements, as well as recusals.
The committee will begin to produce rankings following week nine of the season—similar to 2014 and 2015. Members will again meet in person, on Mondays and Tuesdays. The committee will issue its first rankings Tuesday, November 1, with subsequent rankings taking place the next five weeks. The rankings will be revealed each week on ESPN’s College Football Playoff: Top 25.
The final selection committee rankings of 2016 will be released on Selection Day, Sunday, December 4. At this time, the selection committee will announce Playoff Semifinal matchups, New Year’s bowl pairings, and the final Top 25 exclusively via College Football Playoff Selection Day programming on ESPN.
Below is the complete schedule for the selection committee to announce its rankings on ESPN.Tuesday, Nov. 1 7-8 p.m. ET ESPN
Tuesday, Nov. 8 7-8 p.m. ET ESPN
Tuesday, Nov. 15 9-9:30 p.m. ET* ESPN
Tuesday, Nov. 22 7-8 p.m. ET ESPN
Tuesday, Nov. 29 7-7:30 p.m. ET ESPN
Sunday, Dec. 4 (Selection Day) Noon-4 p.m. ET ESPN
*Approximate start time will be 9 p.m. from the Champions Classic basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden. The rankings will be revealed live between the Kentucky vs. Michigan State and Duke vs. Kansas basketball games.
The committee’s recusal policy remains the same as previous years, which states: “A recused member shall not participate in any votes involving the team from which the individual is recused.”
“A recused member is permitted to answer only factual questions about the institution from which the member is recused, but shall not be present during any deliberations regarding that team’s selection or seeding. Recused members shall not participate in discussions regarding the placement of the reduced team into a bowl game.”
“If a committee member or an immediate family member, e.g., spouse, sibling or child, (a) is compensated by a school, (b) provides professional services for a school, or (c) is on the coaching staff or administrative staff at a school or is a football student-athlete at a school, that member will be recused. Such compensation shall include not only direct employment, but also current paid consulting arrangements, deferred compensation (e.g., contract payments continuing after employment has ended) or other benefits. The committee will have the option to add other recusals if special circumstances arise.”
Recusals for the 2016-17 season are as follows:
• Arkansas – Jeff Long
• Central Michigan – Herb Deromedi
• Clemson – Dan Radakovich
• Duke – Tyrone Willingham
• Oregon – Rob Mullens
• Southern Mississippi – Jeff Bower
• Stanford – Condoleezza Rice; Tyrone Willingham
• Texas Tech – Kirby Hocutt
• Wisconsin – Barry Alvarez
For additional information on the selection committee, weekly rankings, and to view the selection committee protocol in its entirety, visit www.collegefootballplayoff.com.
