After Texas announces Big 12 departure, AD Chris Del Conte quits college football playoff selection committee

Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor will replace Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte on the college football playoff selection committee, the CFP said on Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the CFP told ESPN that the Big 12 have made the decision to replace Del Conte and have the ability to appoint their representative. Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby, who has publicly criticized the covert process that led his flagship programs to leave for the SEC, did not immediately return a request for comment.

Del Conte was not immediately available for comment.

Taylor, who was nominated by the Big 12 and endorsed by the 10 FBS commissioners and Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, will serve a three-year term.

“Gene is well respected and will be a great member of the committee,” CFP executive director Bill Hancock said in a statement. “We are looking forward to welcoming him to the group.”

Taylor has been the Kansas State athletic director since 2017, with the Wildcats reaching three bowl games during his tenure. He previously served as Assistant Athletic Director for Iowa (2014-17) and North Dakota State AD (2001-14).

“I am grateful to have been selected to serve on the CFP selection committee, and I look forward to this exciting opportunity,” Taylor said in a statement. “I appreciate the Big 12 nominating me. The committee has a very important job of selecting the best football teams, and I’m delighted to be a part of that process.”

The CFP Selection Committee is responsible for selecting the four teams for the playoffs and assigning them to the semi-final matches, as well as ranking the other Top 25 teams.

The other members of the selection committee are President Gary Barta (athletic director of Iowa), Mitch Barnhart (athletic director of Kentucky), Paola Boivin (Arizona state professor), Tom Burman (athletic director of the Wyoming), Charlie Cobb (Georgia State Athletic Director), Boo Corrigan (North Carolina State Athletic Director), Rick George (Colorado Athletic Director), Will Shields (former All Offensive lineman) -American in Nebraska), Joe Taylor (vice president of the Virginia Union for Athletics and Community Welfare), John Urschel (former All-American offensive lineman at Penn State), Rod West (president of Entergy Corp.) and Tyrone Willingham (former trainer at Stanford, Notre Dame, Washington).